Botswana bridge deal for Italian contractors

Two Italian contractors will handle a bridge project in Botswana. The US$93 million project will be carried out by a joint venture comprising the construction firm Cimolai and Itinera. The 1.1km-long bridge is to be built in Botswana’s Okavango Delta, providing a new link for vehicles and pedestrians. The new bridge will replace an existing link built on pontoons and is expected to open to traffic in 2019. The Okavango Delta is a large and swampy area of the country that experiences seasonal flooding and which covers some 15,000km2. The delta is famed for its wildlife and though remote, provides a major draw for tourists to Botswana. Providing a new bridge will help boost the tourist trade and further develop Botswana’s economy. An environmental assessment has been carried out to ensure that the project will not impact on the local ecosystem and the joint venture partners will build the link according to necessary requirements.