Italian consortium wins Okavango bridge project
Botswana has awarded a US$95 million contract to a joint venture between Italian companies Itinera and Cimolai to build a bridge in the remote Okavango Delta, a major tourist attraction renowned for its wildlife.
The project, which will be fully funded by the government and involves the construction of a 1.1km road bridge and pedestrian walkways, is expected to be complete in July 2019. It will replace a pontoon service across a section of the delta. “An environment impact assessment was done since the Okavango Delta area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We will make sure construction will not disturb the environment,” Elias Magosi, permanent secretary in the Ministry of Transport and Communications, told a media briefing.
At certain times of the year, the Okavango Delta is home to some of the greatest concentrations of African wildlife, and development has generally been kept to a minimum there. It floods during Botswana's winter dry season, making it a magnet to herds of elephants and other animals.
NAMPA/REUTERS
The project, which will be fully funded by the government and involves the construction of a 1.1km road bridge and pedestrian walkways, is expected to be complete in July 2019. It will replace a pontoon service across a section of the delta. “An environment impact assessment was done since the Okavango Delta area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We will make sure construction will not disturb the environment,” Elias Magosi, permanent secretary in the Ministry of Transport and Communications, told a media briefing.
At certain times of the year, the Okavango Delta is home to some of the greatest concentrations of African wildlife, and development has generally been kept to a minimum there. It floods during Botswana's winter dry season, making it a magnet to herds of elephants and other animals.
NAMPA/REUTERS
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