Victoria Falls Bridge re-opens after repairs

Victoria Falls Bridge re-opens after repairs

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By Staff Reporter

ZIMBABWE and Zambia are re-opening the Victoria Falls Bridge following joint repairs costing US$1,7 million.

The bridge links the two countries and is a major tourist gateway to the Victoria Falls -- once voted one of the seven wonders of the world.

The bridge, one of Zimbabwe's most famous landmarks, strides over the Zambezi River.

It was opened in 1905, and designed to last a hundred years. But when work started on it last year, officials said it carried 170% more weight than it was designed to carry 110 years ago, despite its age.

A report by officials from the National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) alerted officials to the danger posed by the bridge before it was closed to allow for emergency work. A load limit of 30 tons had also been imposed.

A report by the NRZ in January last year said: "There are excessive vibrations being felt whenever a heavy truck transverses the bridge."

The choice for engineers was either to reconstruct or reinforce the bridge, but they settled for reinforcement. Following the repairs, the bridge can now sustain loads of up to 56 tons for the next five years.

During this period, more repairs will be done to enable the bridge to survive another century.

The Victoria Falls Bridge, which spans the Zambezi gorge just below the world's mightiest waterfall, carries a railway line, a road and a footpath.

It is also a popular tourist venue and the sight of one of the world's highest bungee jumps.

Zimbabwean and Zambian officials were expected at a ceremony marking the re-opening of the bridge Thursday.

FACTS ABOUT VICTORIA FALLS BRIDGE
Designed by Sir Ralph Freeman, the same engineer who designed the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the Victoria Falls Bridge is an engineering feat spanning 152 metres.

The bridge was the brainchild of Sir Cecil John Rhodes, who according to chief engineer G.A Hobson instructed engineers to "build the bridge across the Zambezi where the trains as they pass will catch the spray from the falls" – even though he never visited the Falls and died before construction of the Bridge began.

Located just below the Falls, and completed in just 14 months, the Bridge made way for modern-day transportation and commerce to reach central Africa.

Constructed from steel, the parabolic arch spans 156.50 metres (500 feet), with a height of 128 metres above the valley floor. Like Sydney, the Bridge carries cars, trains and foot traffic and plays host to the world-famous, 111 metre Shearwater Bungi Jump.
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