By Rex Mphisa
CONCERNED Zimbabweans were on Tuesday sharing disturbing images of a large crack purportedly on the iconic suspended Birchenough Bridge near Chipinge in Manicaland.
The crack on the image shared many times suggests it is on an inner side of the structure exhibiting it could be under stress from loads it most likely cannot take.
“This image is of a significant crack in a steel structural member of the Birchenough Bridge in Zimbabwe.The damage has raised concerns regarding the bridge’s structural integrity and potential for collapse,” said one concerned Zimbabwean.
Reports suggest this may be a time-sensitive issue requiring prompt inspection and repairs.
The bridge on the Save River and at the boundary of Manicaland and Masvingo provinces,, was built with over 90,000 rivets, and is a major piece of engineering infrastructure in the region.
Located approximately 62 km from Chipinge in Manicaland ,Birchenough Bridge is an iconic steel arch suspension bridge crossing the Save River.
It was completed in 1935 and designed by Sydney Harbour Bridge engineer Ralph Freeman, the structure operates with strict weight restrictions.
While it was dormant for sometime but picked massive activity after the resumptions of operations at Bikita Minerals and preference by exporters of the Beira Port as against Durban through Beitbridge.
Built by Dorman Long, it closely resembles the Australian Sydney Harbour Bridge at two-thirds its scale and at the time of its opening, it was the world’s third-longest single-arch suspension bridge.
The bridge was named after Henry Birchenough (whose ashes are buried in the bridge), this landmark was famously stamped on the historical 20-cent coin.
Due to its age and the strain of heavy modern transport, the bridge requires constant monitoring. Authorities have implemented a 25-tonne weight limit, and heavy haulage trucks or buses are sometimes required to offload cargo or have passengers disembark before crossing.
But some people living around the structure suspect the weight restrictions do not have adequate monitoring.
“At time you see some vehicles the naked eye conclude are overweight,” said Andrea Sithole of Birchenough township.
At the resumption of mining at Bikita Minerals, the company extracting Lithium promised to build a second bridge to relieve Birchenough.