Hatch wins award for project making a positive impact on the local community

Johannesburg, South Africa—Hatch has won an award from the Consulting Engineers South Africa Aon Engineering Excellence Awards, winning in the Projects with a Value Less than R50 Million category for the Tugela River Pedestrian Bridge project. The project is an example of how a community’s quality of life and future possibilities can be significantly improved through the successful partnership between the government and private enterprises.

The new Tugela River Pedestrian Bridge is a landmark structure that forms part of the KwaZulu Natal (KZN) Department of Transport’s pedestrian bridge program, which seeks to redress past imbalances to historically impoverished communities by implementing infrastructure that will improve their quality of life. Prior to the construction of the bridge, community members crossed the 150-metre-wide Tugela River to access local schools and amenities by removing all clothing and wading across the river with their valuables held over their head in a bucket. The crossing put them at risk of being swept away by the current or attacked by crocodiles.

“We’re proud to have been a part of such an important project for the local Maphumulo community. It’s rewarding when we can put our technical expertise to work on projects that are bringing about real, positive change for a community,” said Sarisha Harrychund, engineer and project manager on the project.

The Tugela River Pedestrian Bridge is the first steel pedestrian suspension bridge in the isolated Maphumulo district of KZN. The impressive structure has an overall length of 180 metres, with towers that are nearly 27 metres high. The project was designed and supervised by Hatch, who oversaw the full project life cycle, from feasibility and preliminary studies, to detailed design, construction support, and finally to the project's close-out.

The project previously received a special mention in the Professional Services category at the 2017 Construction World Best Projects Awards.

For more information, please contact:

Glenn Sakaki
Global Director, Marketing & Communication
Tel: +1 905 403 4241
Email: media@hatch.com

About Hatch

Whatever our clients envision, our engineers can design and build. With over six decades of business and technical experience in the mining, energy, and infrastructure sectors, we know your business and understand that your challenges are changing rapidly. We respond quickly with solutions that are smarter, more efficient and innovative. We draw upon our 9,000 staff with experience in over 150 countries to challenge the status quo and create positive change for our clients, our employees, and the communities we serve.

Find out more on www.hatch.com.