• Lesotho and South Africa will launch the Senqu Bridge, a $146.7 million cross-border infrastructure project.

• The bridge forms part of Phase II of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project to boost regional integration and water security.

• The structure will replace an existing route and improve connectivity in a mountainous, landlocked region.

South Africa and Lesotho will commission the Senqu Bridge this week. The structure is located in the mountainous Mokhotlong district and carries an estimated cost of 2.4 billion rand (about $146.7 million). The project aims to improve transport continuity between the two countries, which face geographic constraints due to rugged terrain.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Lesotho’s King Letsie III will jointly inaugurate the bridge. The project forms part of Phase II of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP), a major program launched under a 1986 bilateral treaty and expanded through a supplementary agreement signed in 2011. The broader initiative aims to strengthen regional water security while supporting economic development in both countries.

The Senqu Bridge spans 825 meters and rises 90 meters above ground, making it the largest of three major structures built to cross the future Polihali reservoir. The bridge will replace existing infrastructure that will be submerged once the Polihali dam becomes operational.

Once in service, the bridge will provide a strategic link across the reservoir and ensure continuity of traffic on the national road network. It will support key routes, including the A1 road connecting Mokhotlong to Maseru.

South African authorities state that the infrastructure will improve access to basic services and stimulate new economic opportunities in this isolated region.

This article was initially published in French by Henoc Dossa

Adapted in English by Ange J.A de Berry Quenum