A look at South Africa’s new mega bridge – under construction in the Eastern Cape

Transport minister Fikile Mbalula says construction work on the new Msikaba Bridge is making steady progress.

In a series of posts on social media., Mbalula shared new photos of the bridge which forms part of the new N2 Wild Coast Road project in KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape,

“The (Msikaba Bridge) will stimulate investment and growth, initiate new economic sectors and transform the connection of rural communities to urban centres around the country,” he said.

“The project will continue to create thousands of new jobs and economic opportunities in line with the new Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan.”

The N2 national Wild Coast road project will see the construction of two mega-bridge structures on the Msikaba and Mtentu Rivers, seven additional major river bridges and several interchange bridges, as well as new intersections, interchanges, pedestrian walkways and agricultural under and overpasses.

The N2 Wild Coast Road, which stretches 410 km from the Gonubie Interchange in East London to the Mtamvuna river near Port Edward, will shorten the current distance by 85 kilometres in comparison to the current route.

This will mean a travel time saving of between one-and-a-half to three hours for road users once it is completed saving the economy R1.5 billion annually, Sanral has said.

After significant delays, including a protracted labour dispute,  the estimated completion date for the project has been scheduled for the end of 2025/the start of 2026.

Read: South Africa can’t cope with the number of cars on its roads: minister