The collapse of the bridge over the Mucoso River, in the Municipality of Cambambe, Dondo Commune, cut off road traffic between the provinces of Huambo, Cuanza Sul, Cuanza Norte (Dondo) and Luanda.
Speaking this Tuesday, 27th, to Angop, the provincial director of Cuanza Norte of the National Institute of Roads of Angola (INEA) blames the exploitation of sand around the infrastructure for the landslide at the bridge’s abutments.
“The erosion process of the bridge’s abutments was caused by the removal of the stones that served to protect the soil and to dampen the force of the intermittent river waters”, said Miguel Nelembe.
The provincial director of INEA said that, at this moment, “equipment is being mobilized, with the support of companies in the construction sector that operate in the city of Dondo, with the aim of replacing the embankment at the bridge abutments”, but, however, he informed that “the work could last 10 days, during which time traffic on that road will be interrupted”.
“Given the characteristics of the river itself and the surrounding areas, which are completely submerged, it is not possible to find an alternative route in Dondo,” he said.
As a result, road traffic between the city of Dondo, municipality of Cambambe (Cuanza Norte) and the rest of the country is currently banned. The connection between Luanda and the southern, northern and eastern provinces of the country, passing through Dondo, is also interrupted.
Sixty meters long and 12 meters wide, Miguel Nelembe also reported that, recently, the bridge was the subject of “a study by the Ministry of Public Works and Construction to reinforce the intermediate pillar, due to the damage suffered to its structure”.
Alternative Routes
The guidance given by INEA is that motorists have the alternative of using the Maria Teresa/Caxilo/Ndalatando/AltoDondo route, passing through Binda hill, on the Luanda/Dondo route.
Motorists coming from the south of the country have the option of diverting at Alto Dondo and passing through Morro do Binda to get to Luanda.
