African Design Magazine ADM #36 December 2017 | Page 40

i ered by cliffs and deep valleys, Nyaruguru District is home to over 300 000
Rwandans. Travelling between communities and amenities such as schools
and clinics through the terraine proved treacherous, as many of the river
crossings were impassable.
A team from Arup and Bechtel joined Bridges to Prosperity and members of the local
Nyaruguru community worked together to build a 64-metre pedestrian footbridge,
replacing an existing makeshift timber bridge.
BRIDGING COMMUNITIES
Stretching over the river Basubira, the suspended footbridge is the largest Bridges to
Prosperity has delivered to date. The team of engineers, five from Arup and five from
Bechtel, with the support of the local Rwandan community communities, completed
the footbridge in two weeks.
It was an inspiring experience to go to such a remote area
and be able to work alongside the local community members
to construct something that will have such a big impact on
their day-to-day lives. The experience epitomised the reason I
became an engineer.” - Richard Hyson, Arup
Engineer
Ongoing maintenance on the footbridge is managed by community members who
have formed a bridge maintenance commi ee. The commi ee is tasked with surveying
and repairing the bridge to ensure it will last for years to come.
The partnership between Arup, Bechtel and Bridges to Prosperity is currently in its sixth
year. Bridges to Prosperity provides isolated communities with access to essential health
care, education and economic opportunities by building footbridges.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO DONATE TO THE
BRIDGES TO PROSPERITY INITIATIVE ?
According to Gauff
Engineering, the
Maputo-Catembe
Bridge will be the
longest suspension
bridge in Africa...
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