LHDA celebrates Senqu Bridge milestone

TEBOHO LEBESA

MASERU – Senqu Bridge has marked another milestone with the erection of the first cable underway at its second abutment with the first cable component, duct and anti-vandal sleeve in place, according to the Lesotho Highlands Water Authority (LHDA).

An abutment is a structure that supports the ends of a bridge or dam and transfers the weight of the bridge to the ground.

The LHDA said in statement issued on Tuesday that the cables will take a couple of days to be completed. Thirty-seven individual cables have been twisted together inside the ducts to make each cable bundle – these are continuous from one end to the other passing through the pier heads in a sleeve.

“Each of the cable components is individually stressed and adjusted, and a specialist is on site to do this,” the statement said, adding that 15 piers, which is approximately 25 percent of the deck, had been completed.

The decks are being constructed from either side and are expected to meet in the middle towards the end of this year. The grand bridge is expected to be open to traffic in the first quarter of 2026, according to the current construction programme.

The M2 billion construction contract for the three-year construction of the 825m long and 90m high bridge has been awarded to a multi-national consortium.

The LHDA selected Italy-based Webuild; South African companies – Raubex Construction (Pty) Ltd and Enza Construction (Pty) Ltd; and, Sigma Construction (Pty) Ltd from Lesotho to the job.

Sub-contractors engaged include South African firms EXR Construction (Pty) Ltd and Post Tensioning and Structural Solutions (Pty) Ltd as well as Austria’s Sliding Construction and France-based company, Freyssinet International et Cie.

This is together with the WRES Joint Venture, which includes South African, Lesotho and international companies as per the requirements of the Lesotho Highlands water Project (LHWP) Phase II Agreement.

According to the LHDA, Senqu Bridge will be the first extra-dosed bridge in Lesotho, larger than the Mphorosane Bridge on the Malibamatšo River and which also spans the Katse Dam and was constructed under Phase I of the LHWP.

Furthermore, it is also the largest of the three bridges that will be constructed under Phase II to span the Polihali Reservoir. The bridge design has taken into consideration the Mokhotlong highlands’ long, cold and harsh winter conditions, with the LHDA emphasising from the beginning of the project that experience and expertise are crucial in delivering a sophisticated, technically challenging project of this kind, which is a first for the LHWP and Lesotho.

With its unique features, the Senqu Bridge will not only form part of the safe and efficient road infrastructure network constructed under Phase II but will be a major tourist attraction contributing to long-term benefits in stimulating sustainable economic growth.

The Polihali Reservoir in the valleys and tributary catchments of the Senqu, Khubelu, Mokhotlong, Moremoholo and Sehonghong Rivers will have a surface area of approximately 5 000 hectares.

Besides the three major bridges, access across the reservoir also entails the construction of new approach road sections to the bridges that tie into the exiting A1 road. The A1 is the main road between the Mokhotlong district in the mountainous north-east of the country and the capital, Maseru.

Work on the bridge design commenced in 2018, led by Zutari, formerly Aurecon Lesotho. It is said that Zutari also designed the Mabunyaneng and Khubelu bridges, the other two major bridges to be constructed under Phase II.

The LHWP delivers water to the Gauteng region of South Africa and utilises the water delivery system to generate hydroelectricity for Lesotho. The Phase II will increase the current supply rate of 780 million cubic meters per annum incrementally to more than 1 270 million cubic meters per annum.

At the same time, it will increase the quantity of electricity generated in Lesotho and is a further step in the process of securing an independent electricity source to meet Lesotho’s domestic requirements and reduce the country’s dependence on imported energy.