As the construction of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP) Phase II progresses, the newly completed Mabunyaneng and Khubelu bridges in the Mokhotlong district, in Lesotho, are set to be unveiled this week.

This followed the completion of the 90-m-high Senqu bridge earlier this year.

South Africa’s Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina and Lesotho’s Natural Resources Minister Mohlomi Moleko planned to launch the bridges on Thursday.

The two bridges, to be officially opened at Mabunyaneng bridge site, in Mapholaneng, form part of the restoration infrastructure portion of the LHWP to ensure continuous access across the future Polihali dam, as the two existing low-lying crossings on this route will be submerged when the reservoir is impounded.

The Khubelu bridge, the second largest of the three bridges, features a 270-m-long curved deck comprising nine 30 m spans, supported by eight piers and two abutments.

Rising approximately 25 m above the valley floor, the structure is carried by sixty-three 52 t precast beams, each 30 m in length.

The Mabunyaneng bridge spans 120 m across the valley and consists of four 30 m spans, supported by three piers and twenty-eight precast beams, standing about 12 m above the valley floor.

Together with the Senqu bridge, these landmark structures will provide safe, reliable and uninterrupted access to the A1 Road between Mokhotlong and Maseru, ensuring year-round connectivity even when the Polihali reservoir reaches full supply.

Designed to accommodate two-way vehicular traffic and pedestrians, the bridges represent critical infrastructure that will serve surrounding communities for generations while supporting the long-term operation and sustainability of the LHWP.

Over the past months, the LHWP Phase II has been making significant progress, advancing towards excess water storage reserve of 490-million cubic of water a year, to secure water for South Africa’s Gauteng province.

Majodina is in Lesotho from September 11 to 13 on a working visit as part of her quarterly oversight to the project.

Following the launch, oversight visits will be conducted at the Polihali dam construction site, the Polihali-Katse water transfer tunnel and resettlements sites of relocated communities to assess progress on the work currently underway.

The visit will conclude with a bilateral meeting on September 13.

Majodina is accompanied by Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation in the Presidency Deputy Minister Seiso Mohai and a delegation from the Department of Water and Sanitation.