Bridges of Rhodesia

3d. This stamp shows a Low-level Bridge or causeway. The majority of these bridges were built between 1926 and 1933 in an endeavour to improve Rhodesia's road communications at a low cost. Grants from the Beit Trust. Although under water at time during a particularly heavy rainy season the bridge provided and still do in some places, a sure and safe crossing point for most of the year.

9d. The subject of this stamp is the bridge over the Mpudzi river 26 miles from Umtali on the Umtali-Birchenough road. The single 100-foot span which rises 40 feet from the river is an open spandrel twin-rib arch with a trestle approach. The bridge has a double carriageway and an overall length of 220 feet. It was designed and built by the Southern Rhodesia Government and was comleted in September, 1961.

1/6d. The bridge depicted on this stamp crosses the Umniati river 116 miles from Salisbury on the main trunk road to Bulawayo and is typical of those found on Rhodesian highways today. This high-lever all-weather has an overall length of 500 ft. and consists of five filled spandrel arches with spans of 100 ft. on mass concrete abutments and piers. This was also designed and built by the Southern Rhodesia Government. It was completed in September, 1956.

2/6. This stamp depicts one of the most well know of Rhodesian Bridge - The Birchenough Bridge which crosses the Sabi river 71 miles from Umtali on the road to Fort Victoria. It was a gift to the people of Southern Rhodesia from Beit Trust and was named after the Charmain of the Beit Railway Trust, Sir Harry Birchenough. The single arch of the bridge rises 280 ft. above the river and has a span of 1,080 ft. The bridge which weighs 1,500 tons, was designed by Sir Ralph Freeman on the lines of his bridge over Sidney Harbour and was built by Messrs Dorman Long Limited of Great Britain. The bridge was opened by Sir Herbert Stanley, Governor of Southern Rhodesia in 1935.

Stamp Issue: 1969-09-18