Connecting Communities

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In Rwanda's Western Province, nestled within the steep hills of the Karongi District, a new footbridge stretches across the Muregeya River. This structure is more than a river crossing; it’s a lifeline transforming lives and enhancing community connections. The story of how it came to be is one of genuine collaboration, adaptive mindsets, and resourceful attitudes—and demonstrates how infrastructure can truly make a difference. Constructed in a challenging natural environment under an ambitious schedule, the Muregeya Trail Bridge provides more than 2,500 residents from five communities with safe, year-round access to schools, a hospital, government services, and markets. Built in 2024 by TYLin, Introba, Dar, and Bridges to Prosperity (B2P), it is a record-setting 377-foot-long hybrid suspension bridge.

Rwanda’s nickname, the land of a thousand hills, aptly describes the landscape. It’s beautiful but demanding, with the Muregeya River curving and cutting dramatically through the hillsides. During the dry season, the riverbanks stretch 16 feet up from the river. The hills are lush and green, but during monsoon season, this picturesque scene becomes a deadly torrent, with waters rising above the banks.

In addition to its remote location, the new bridge design needed to effectively manage fluctuating water levels and bank instability. The hybrid suspension design features a concrete abutment on one side and a steel tower with a concrete footing on the other. The abutment is securely founded in rock, while the steel tower was constructed far from the river to mitigate the risks of landslides and flooding — issues that washed away a smaller bridge built two decades earlier. As Engineer of Record, B2P designed the bridge and produced the designs and construction drawings. The engineering process followed international design requirements, guaranteeing that the structure could withstand wind loads and pedestrian traffic.

The team constructed the bridge with steel cables, beams, prefabricated panels, and rebar. Due to the limited availability, B2P transported most of the materials from Rwanda’s capital city of Kigali or sourced them from abroad. They recycled the main cables from container ships after U.S.-based ports opted to donate rather than dispose of them. The other materials are durable yet lightweight, allowing the team to divide them into sections and easily assemble them onsite.
Before the volunteers arrived, community workers, led by the experienced B2P construction team, hand-carried all materials to the site and constructed the abutment tower. On all B2P projects, the local government pays area workers throughout the construction process. This arrangement provides communities with a temporary wage and the opportunity to gain technical bridge construction, inspection, and maintenance knowledge. It’s a crucial step in ensuring the community takes ownership of the structure and is vital to sustaining the bridge into the future. Following construction, our volunteers selected and trained several community members on inspecting and maintaining the safety of the structure.

Access to the remote bridge site was challenging. Each day, the volunteers trekked for 30 minutes through mountainous terrain to reach the site. Given the altitude of approximately 9,163 feet and the intense African sun, the hikes were strenuous, even for the fittest.

Once construction began, the TYLin, Dar, and Introba team, along with the local workers, built the tower side of the structure while another construction team worked from the abutment side. With no temporary river crossing, communication between the two teams was conducted solely by radio. The teams used a zipline to send construction materials from one side to the other and did not meet face-to-face until they installed the bridge decking.

With less than 10 days to build the superstructure of the bridge, the construction process followed a series of carefully planned, well-executed milestones. The key stages included:
Scaffolding and Tower Erection: The first step involved building sturdy scaffolding to help support the hoisting of the 36-foot-high tower. The team installed bumper beams to position the tower. Once the scaffolding was in place, the towers were assembled and painted.

Cable Installation: Installing the main cables was critical and challenging. Workers used a zipline and pulley system to pull the cables across the river, spanning the distance between the towers. The team secured the cables to the anchor beams and adjusted the sag value to the proper tension. The sag value is the difference between the position of the cable and the imaginary line between the top of the tower and the abutment structure. The measurement was taken with a level from the other side of the river and required coordination between the two teams.

Crossbeams and Suspender Installation: The crossbeams, which provide structural support for the bridge deck, were measured, cut, and assembled. The suspenders, connecting the crossbeams to the main cables, were installed to create a suspension system that evenly distributes the load.

Deck Construction: The bridge deck consists of prefabricated panels, each spanning three cross beams. The teams installed the panels one by one, starting from each side of the bridge and working toward the center.

Fencing and Final Details: In the final stage, the team installed fencing and handrails to ensure pedestrian safety. Finishing touches included painting and landscaping around the abutments.
The bridge construction was a collaborative effort between the B2P engineers, the community workers, and the volunteers. When construction roadblocks presented themselves, the B2P engineers provided excellent insight based on their prior similar experience. Ernest Niyigena, the lead B2P engineer responsible for supervising all the local paid workers, was exceptional. The cooperative effort of the entire team was essential to construction success.

The hybrid suspension bridge design was the project’s most significant innovation, with the decision to extend its length to 377 feet being a close second. Additional instances of resourcefulness during construction included using the zipline and winch to pull the deck cables across the river. This method was safe and efficient, considering each of the four main cables is 1.25 inches in diameter, 558 feet long, and weighs approximately 2,315 pounds. The alternative was to pull them across the river manually. To put that effort into perspective, each cable coil required 10 to 15 community workers to hand-carry it to the site.

The personal challenges on this project were real—from language barriers and illnesses to the physical demands of the Rwandan terrain. However, the volunteers became a close-knit group, overcoming each obstacle by supporting one another. The construction team established a successful communication system with three members fluent in Kinyarwanda, the local language, while others improvised with gestures. Among the volunteers, there was no doubt that this experience was about much more than engineering—it was about understanding a community and its people.

Conquering construction-related hurdles was professionally fulfilling, but the warmth and hospitality of the locals was equally significant. They were eager to connect with the volunteers, welcoming them warmly and going out of their way to teach words in their native language and share Rwandan songs and dances. Each day, the community greeted and cheered the team as they trekked to and from the bridge site. In the evenings, children drew pictures and played games with the volunteers. When a brief illness affected the team, the locals provided care and assistance to lift spirits, meet needs, and speed recovery—their efforts were outstanding. Everyone gathered for a celebratory barbecue on the final day before the bridge’s inauguration. The volunteers came away from the experience with a deep appreciation for the Rwandan people’s strength, dedication, and kindness.

The day before the inauguration, the team visited a local school to lead a bridge-building activity. Four students constructed miniature bridges from popsicle sticks and tape and tested the structures' strength during an engaging student assembly. The entire school gathered to witness their peers' inventiveness and engineering skills. The creativity and strength of the structures exceeded the volunteers’ expectations while easily withstanding the weight of marble-laden cups, much to the audience’s delight. To further challenge the designs, rocks gathered from the school grounds were added, but the miniature bridges continued to hold firm, attesting to the students' ingenuity. Afterward, the students performed traditional dances, creating a memorable cultural exchange. The team then joined a physics class, where they shared insights about engineering. This interaction inspired the students and left a lasting impression on the volunteers, highlighting the potential of these young minds to become future builders and engineers.

The successful construction of the Muregeya Trail Bridge was impressive. Still, the personal stories behind the project are what make it unique. The volunteers, many engineers by trade, didn’t just build a bridge—they forged lasting memories with each other and the Rwandan people, creating bonds that will remain in their hearts forever.

All the volunteers were grateful for the opportunity to influence a community in a long-term and meaningful way and to apply their skills to such a necessary purpose. Reflecting on their experience, many recognized that it changed not only their perspective on engineering but also on humanitarian work and life in general.

The team experienced many strong connections during the arduous construction work. One such moment was when they pulled the thick, heavy cables over the scaffolding and passed them over the tower. The effort was considerable, requiring the strength of many people and precise coordination. The community workers sang to sync their efforts, creating a beautiful moment of unity and teamwork that led to success.

Each volunteer shared a sense of awe at what they accomplished in just nine days of construction. Ghassan Issa of Dar reflected, “I think I underestimated how much of an effect our daily efforts were having until we took down the scaffolding and saw the bridge in its form. That was a moment of direct impact.”

Karim Ali’s most memorable moment was erecting the tower, “When we started winching the cables and the tower started to go up, I felt like we were doing something huge, and we were an amazing team!”

For Dahria Uwamahoro of TYLin, an engineer accustomed to designing plans, building this bridge by hand alongside the people of Karongi was an enlightening experience. “They all took such great ownership of the bridge building, ensuring that we knew what we were doing and showing us how to do things. It was humbling to think that we were coming to help them, but in the end, they taught us as well. We learned skills we can use in our careers, anywhere.”
Emmy, a local paid worker, commented as she finalized work on the handrail cables, “This bridge was needed.” Her quiet observation was filled with both gratitude and sincerity.

The volunteers arrived in Rwanda as engineering industry professionals. They left with an intense understanding of how infrastructure can transform lives. The completed bridge symbolizes what can be achieved with even the most basic tools through a collective effort and a common goal.

While the Muregeya Trail Bridge is now the longest hybrid suspension bridge ever built by B2P, its impact on the local communities is far more profound. The bridge ensures that 925 children have safe passage to school and 260 women have access to attended births, but it also results in a 30% increase in annual income for the 544 households it serves. What was once a dangerous crossing is now a secure pathway to education, healthcare, and economic opportunity.