Birchenough Bridge
A steel arch bridge of 1935 over the Save river, designed by the engineer behind Sydney Harbour Bridge.
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The Birchenough Bridge crosses the Save river on a single steel arch of about three hundred and twenty-nine metres, opened in 1935 and designed by Ralph Freeman, the engineer responsible for the Sydney Harbour Bridge, which it resembles at smaller scale. It was paid for by the Beit Trust and named for the chairman who pushed it through, whose ashes are in one of the pylons. The bridge is still the main crossing on this route.
What you actually see
- The steel arch - a single span of around three hundred and twenty-nine metres.
- The Freeman design - by the engineer behind the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
- The Save river - the wide sandy river the bridge crosses.
- The pylons - the towers at each end, one holding Birchenough's ashes.
When to go
April to October is the dry season. The Save is often a dry sand bed outside the rains. Traffic on the bridge is constant.
Honest expectations
It is a working road bridge with no pedestrian provision to speak of. The river is usually dry sand rather than water. There is nowhere much to stop safely.
Nearby
Mutare is northeast, and Masvingo is west.
What to pack for Birchenough Bridge
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.
