EMERGED Railways Properties (ERP), which owns and manages the Victoria Falls Bridge, says the infrastructure remains structurally safe and sound to facilitate trade and movement of people.
Jointly owned by the National Railways of Zimbabwe and the Zambia Railways Limited (ZRL), ERP built the bridge in 1905 with a life span of more than 200 years.
Located in Victoria Falls, Matabeleland North Province, the bridge is one of the key gateways between Zimbabwe and Zambia.
Apart from its economic importance to Zimbabwe and Zambia, the bridge will play a pivotal role in facilitating intra-African trade and regional integration under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The AfCFTA is expected to boost intra-African trade by 53 percent by 2025 with the potential to create up to 30 million jobs and lift 30 million people out of poverty.
ERP said in a statement this week one of its mandates was to ensure the Victoria Falls Bridge was maintained in such a way that its structural integrity remained safe for usage for all approved purposes.
ERP said it had a strict bridge maintenance programme that ensured its intended objectives were achieved and thus activities that included principal inspection were undertaken every five years and deliberately carried out by an international independent consultant.
"Based on the above, ERP now provides assurance to all stakeholders and users of the bridge that the facility remains structurally sound, safe and thus also economically viable.
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"The life expectancy of the bridge is in fact estimated at no less than 200 years from the year of construction in 1905 which implies that its life expectancy now still stands at well over 100 years, subject of course, to continuing the rigid maintenance regime which ERP ensures is implemented without deviation," it said.
The last inspection was undertaken in August 2022, every year, a combined team of technical staff from key institutions including Zimbabwe's roads department and the Roads Development Agency (RDA) of Zambia, health and safety experts, and security experts undertake an inspection of the bridge also to ensure the structural integrity of the facility is confirmed.
"Finally, a qualified and experienced contractor undertakes the ongoing and quarterly maintenance of the bridge and regularly checks on the bridge's structural and operational integrity," said ERP.
The latest principal inspection was undertaken by Ramboll, a Denmark-based structural engineering firm and their inspection report states in part: "As documented in the present report, the Victoria Falls bridge is generally very healthy, and the current maintenance schedule is sufficient for securing the durability.
"When the items listed in the summary above are taken care of, and the good maintenance practice continues, we assume a service life of the main structures of 200 years from the original construction, that is until 2105."
