Design work on the feeder roads and bridges for the second phase of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP) has started, with construction work set to start towards the end of 2026.

This follows the Lesotho Highlands Development Authority’s (LHDA’s) awarding of the design and construction supervision contract to the Khubelu joint venture (JV).

The JV includes lead partner Lesotho-based Pemahn Consulting, and partners KBK Engineers and Bosch Projects, both South Africa-based, and subconsultants Nala Environmental Services and Strutie Group, of Lesotho and South Africa respectively.

The feeder roads and bridges programme comprises 94.2 km of new or upgraded feeder roads; four pedestrian bridges between 250 m and 750 m long; and six vehicle bridges between 72 m and 422 m long.

The feeder roads and bridges, key components of the LHWP Phase II infrastructure, are critical to restoring connectivity and mobility for communities in the area that will be impacted by the impoundment of the Polihali reservoir, says LHDA CEO Tente Tente.

“The impounding of the 5 042 ha Polihali reservoir will inundate the valleys of the Senqu, Mabunyaneng, Khubelu, Sehonghong, Moremoholo and Mokhotlong rivers, permanently submerging some existing roads and tracks, resulting in schools, other community services and agricultural activities becoming potentially inaccessible without mitigation,” he explains.

The programme will also restore or improve access to essential services such as schools, health facilities and markets, and integrate existing and resettled villages into the national road network, while the bridges will provide strategic crossing points across the future reservoir and link to the feeder roads to retain and improve access between communities for vehicles and pedestrians.

An extensive master plan study identified the current movement patterns around and across the river valleys that will be inundated and determined the layout and location of the new or improved roads and new bridges.

The feeder roads and bridges programme also complements the construction of the access roads and bridges developed as part of the advance infrastructure and main works.

These include the Polihali western access road – a major road leading to the dam site – the upgrading of two existing major roads, namely the Polihali north-east access road and the Northern access road; and the construction of the three major bridges on the Maseru-to-Mokhotlong A1 road at the Mabunyane, Khubelu and Senqu rivers.

The three roads have been completed and construction of the three major bridges is progressing well.