11/10/2024
Zambia: The Story Behind the Victoria Falls Bridge
In 1905, British engineers constructed the iconic Victoria Falls Bridge, which spans the mighty Zambezi River, connecting Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) and Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). This bridge was a key part of Cecil John Rhodes' grand vision to connect Africa by rail from Cape Town to Cairo.
Remarkably, the bridge was prefabricated in England, then shipped to Mozambique and transported via rail from the Port of Beira to its current location near the Victoria Falls gorge. Despite the challenges of the time—long before the invention of computers or GPS—the British engineers had previously surveyed the gorge, took precise measurements, and designed the bridge accordingly.
The entire assembly of the bridge took just 14 months, with the parts fitting perfectly according to the original specifications. It's a testament to the ingenuity and craftsmanship of the era that, 117 years later, this bridge remains fully operational, carrying both trucks and cargo trains across the Zambezi River.
The Victoria Falls Bridge stands as a remarkable feat of engineering and a significant piece of Zambia’s and Zimbabwe’s shared history.
