Matadi Bridge
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The Matadi Bridge, also known as the OEBK Bridge for Organisation pour l’équipement de Banana-Kinshasa, and formerly known as Pont Maréchal in French, is a suspension bridge across the Congo River at Matadi, Democratic Republic of the Congo. It was completed in 1983, by a consortium of Japanese companies. With a main span of Template:Convert, it was said to be the longest suspension bridge in Africa from its inauguration until the 2018 opening of the Maputo–Katembe bridge.[1] The bridge crosses the Congo River at its narrowest point, just downstream from the port of Matadi. It is the only bridge across the Congo River proper.
Construction
Matadi Bridge was completed in 1983 by a consortium of Japanese companies, led by Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries.[2] It has a main span of Template:Convert and crosses the Congo River.[3] Matadi Bridge was built with 14,000 tons of steel.[4] The bridge is designed in a way to emphasize that the towers are made up of bar members, with each tower being a single rigid frame.[5] 25 millionTemplate:Clarify of the bridge was paid for by the Japanese government at the request of the erstwhile President Mobutu, at a cost of 34.5 billion Japanese yen.[4]
Railway
A railway line across the bridge was intended to be part of a line to Boma and Muanda. However, it was never built.[6]