This contract is for the emergency repair to 115 piers as well as the end portion of a 4km existing bridge linking the mainland of Moçambique to the island of Ilha de Moçambique.
The bridge was built in 1969 and has had no maintenance with the result that the piers are on the verge of total failure. This has been caused mainly by the steel rusting and bursting the concrete cover and then the exposed steel almost rusting away in some cases. The deck has to be supported and the piers removed and reconstructed whilst under traffic!!
There is a large tidal movement which limits access to the working area. An interesting problem is that some portions of the deck are in tension and at the moment that the pier is removed, the deck can jump or it can drop by as much as 50mm. This is the only link for this World Heritage Site island to the mainland.
Until 1898, this island was the capital of Moçambique and has a rich history dating back to the 10th century. There are about 14,000 people living on the island which is about 3.5km x 1km.