Birchenough Bridge

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 buried beneath the structure of the bridge. The bridge is still the main crossing on this route.

What to look for

• 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, with Birchenough's ashes buried beneath the bridge.

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.

Practical notes

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.

Key facts