Nelson Mandela Bridge, Johannesburg
The largest cable-stayed bridge in South Africa, the 284 metre long Nelson Mandela Bridge, starts virtually at the end of Jan Smuts Avenue and links the Constitutional Hill precinct in Braamfontein to the Cultural precinct in Newtown, in the heart of the city’s inner city renewal project.
The Nelson Mandela Bridge, officially opened by Nelson Mandela himself, cost R38-million and took two years of construction to cross over the 40 railway lines that lie spread beneath its span. The bridge carries two lanes of traffic; there are two sidewalks for pedestrians and a bicycle lane and it’s a ride worth taking for the incredible array of artworks decorating buildings past which the bridge runs (the city has some 65 artworks in total decorating its buildings).
Visually the bridge is incredibly appealing in its simplicity. Four tubular steel, concrete filled pylons are a central feature and key to the engineering of the bridge. The bridge is also supported on the largest pot bearings ever installed in the country, designed to cope with any stresses to the bridge - no surprise that the Nelson Mandela Bridge was judged ‘the most outstanding civil engineering project achievement in the technical excellence category’ in 2003 by the SA Institute of Civil Engineers. At night the bridge is a magical beacon that lights the sky, its imposing span dominating the horizon in amongst the city skyscrapers and viewed from the M1 highway by countless South Africans and visitors alike.
“Nelson Mandela is no ordinary man, and the Nelson Mandela Bridge is no ordinary bridge.” - Aggrey Klaaste, chairman of the Johannesburg Tourism Company.
Accommodation nearby
For accommodation nearby see:
• Auckland Park • Bedfordview • Braamfontein • Craighall Park • Cresta • Darrenwood
• Douglasdale • Dunkeld West • Emmarentia • Forest Town • Joburg Central • Kensington
• Lanseria • Linden • Marshalltown • Melville • Midrand • Northcliff • Norwood • Observatory
• Orchards • Ormonde • Parkhurst • Parktown • Parkview • Parkwood • Randburg
• Sandton • Saxonwold • Soweto • Victory Park • Westcliff
Or see all accommodation, visit Joburg Accommodation or Joburg Hotels.
Attractions / Activities nearby

Constitution Hill
Nowhere can the story of South Africa’s turbulent past and its extraordinary transition to democracy be told as it is at Constitution Hill. This national heritage site has witnessed a century of South Africa’s history. From rebellious British soldiers who fought with the Boers at the turn of the century, to the ... more information

Newtown, Johannesburg
Situated in Johannesburg’s inner-city, Newtown forms the heart of the city’s regeneration and reinvention of itself. It’s a fairly large area that lies sandwiched between the railway lines to the north, the M2 highway in the south and bounded in the east and west by West Street and Quinn Street respectively. What ... more information

Mandela Family Museum
Nelson Mandela's humble house in Orlando West, Soweto, now called the Mandela Family Museum, is an interesting stopover for those keen to imbibe a slice of authentic history on the world's most famous former prisoner. The museum, a house comprising four inter-leading rooms, contains a rather ... more information

Museum Africa
Not only is Museum Africa one of the most beautiful buildings where it lies right next door to the Market Theatre complex in Bree Street, Newtown, but it is also a museum with a difference - people who have visited museums throughout the world remark at the interesting and unique approach to the main ... more information
Visiting Nelson Mandela Bridge?
Also see Things To Do in Johannesburg or check out Things To Do in Gauteng to view activities by category, including watersports, sightseeing activities, arts & crafts and many, many more.
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