Maputo Bridge
Where our expansion joints were installed on Africa's longest suspension bridge span, delivering reliable performance in a resource‑constrained environment.
The Bridge of Dreams
The Maputo–Katembe Bridge is a sea crossing in southern Mozambique, spanning Maputo Bay. It stands as one of the landmark infrastructure projects under the cooperation between Mozambique and China, and has become a symbol of national unity.
The Longest Span in Africa
The bridge is designed as a single-span gravity anchorage suspension bridge with a main span of 680 meters and towers reaching 141.2 meters in height, making it the longest suspension bridge span in Africa. The north approach spans total 1,097 meters, using precast concrete T‑girders and continuous concrete box girders. The south approach spans extend 1,234 meters, constructed entirely with precast T‑girders. The combined length of the main and approach spans is 3.011 kilometers.
Longest suspension bridge span in Africa
A Crossing That Transformed a City
Maputo is divided by Maputo Bay into two parts. The northern side, where the city center lies, has grown into a metropolitan area with a population exceeding two million. The southern side, around Katembe, remained underdeveloped for years due to the lack of a direct crossing.
Although the narrowest point of the bay is less than 700 meters wide, the only connection for decades was a ferry service that required up to an hour and a half of waiting time, and sometimes five to six hours during peak periods. This not only constrained daily movement for residents but also limited the city's overall growth.
On November 10, 2018, the Maputo–Katembe Bridge and its connecting roads opened to traffic at its 131st anniversary of Maputo's founding.
A large public ceremony marked the occasion, attended by the President of Mozambique, officials from both countries, and more than 3,000 local residents.
The bridge has since enabled urban expansion and accelerated the development of the Katembe area. Plans for the southern side include a new district covering approximately 2,000 hectares with a projected population of at least 400,000, focusing on industry, logistics, tourism, commerce, and residential development.
Engineering Tailored to Local Conditions
The bridge is often referred to locally as a "century project." The work integrated Chinese, European, and South African standards, establishing a technical framework for bridge construction in Mozambique that covered design, materials, manufacturing, and acceptance criteria. Solutions were developed to address challenges such as non‑compliant local aggregates and limited availability of materials and equipment typical for steel deck paving in resource‑constrained regions. Environmental considerations were also prioritized to protect Maputo Bay and the surrounding ecosystem.
ROABY supplied its RBQF1200 and RBQF1520 Unitized Multi-directional Finger-plate Expansion Joints for the project.
Key Figures
Longest suspension bridge span in Africa
Largest‑capacity expansion joints installed on the African continent
