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Bridges to Prosperity – Rubete Trail Bridge

Kigali, Rwanda

The Nyagakonyi River divides community life in the village of Rubete in rural Rwanda. Thousands rely on crossing the river to reach an array of critical resources and economic opportunities. But when the rain arrives the river becomes dangerous, and often deadly, to attempt crossing the makeshift wooden bridge that spans the gorge and river.

º£½ÇÊÓƵ and WilkinsonEyre teamed up to work alongside the charity Bridges to Prosperity to help construct a new bridge. Eight volunteers from the two firms, five of whom were from the Structural Engineering and Bridges teams at º£½ÇÊÓƵ, travelled out to Rwanda in May 2022 to lend their engineering and design expertise to complete this life-changing project.

º£½ÇÊÓƵ and WilkinsonEyre worked alongside the charity Bridges to Prosperity to help construct a new bridge for the village of Rubete in Rwanda.

The existing crossing was a very poor condition timber bridge – formed from a couple of felled trees with planks on top and no handrails.

The Rubete Trail Suspended Bridge will empower an entire community by providing this new safe and robust connection.

Challenge

º£½ÇÊÓƵ has a rich heritage of encouraging its teams to devote their time and skills to community projects around the world that help to lift the equity and aspiration of some of the world’s poorest populations. We have worked with the Bridges to Prosperity charity for a number of years, including supporting other bridge building missions to Rwanda, such as the project to build a bridge at Gatare in 2018, and Gasiza in 2016.

The group of engineers, technicians and architects who took part in the Rubete Trail Bridge had been due to travel to Africa in 2020, but their plans were delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic and resulting travel restrictions. With financial backing from the º£½ÇÊÓƵ Foundation, as well as other sponsorship and fundraising, the group was finally able to travel to Rwanda in 2022.

A thirty-minute drive from the capital Kigali, the volunteers found themselves working in a challenging remote location, with teams of villagers engaged to support the initial laborious process of transporting materials for the new bridge by hand from the nearest main road.

Solution

Bridges to Prosperity provided a standard blueprint for a pedestrian suspended bridge that is delivered as a kit of parts, which the team set to work on constructing during their two-week stay.

The main bridge cables were initially erected between two concrete anchors that had been built on either side of the ravine, from which the decking would be hung. The decking itself was delivered to the site as a series of small steel panels, which had to be connected to the hangers by hand before being launched onto the bridge. Deck panels needed to be customised to a bespoke specification for the meeting in the middle, which were affected by the geometry and natural sagging of the bridge.

The team then worked on the laborious process of twisting into place by hand the wire safety mesh, which hangs from the handrails. A full safety assessment of the new bridge was then made, with checks from the district engineers and local authorities, before the official opening to the community.

A group of locals were trained and given a qualification through Bridges to Prosperity that will enable them to maintain the bridge in the coming years. At the end of the team’s stay in Rwanda, a community celebration was held to mark the bridge’s inauguration.

Value

The Rubete Trail Suspended Bridge will empower an entire community by providing this new safe and robust connection, allowing children to reach their schools, adults to access employment opportunities and connect communities throughout the year.