About Nelson Mandela Bridge
The Nelson Mandela Bridge in Johannesburg, is a 284-metre-long cable-stayed bridge that officially opened on 20 July 2003 under the city's Blue IQ urban renewal initiative. Designed by the Danish architectural firm Dissing+Weitling, the structure features an asymmetrical design with a 42-metre north pylon and a 27-metre south pylon supporting a lightweight steel deck.
It spans 42 operational railway lines to provide a direct transit corridor between the cultural district of Newtown and the commercial hub of Braamfontein. Built to accommodate over 50,000 vehicles daily, the bridge carries two lanes of vehicular traffic alongside dedicated pedestrian and bicycle paths.
In recent years, the landmark was retrofitted with a solar-powered LED architectural lighting system through a community-led restoration project by Jozi My Jozi, allowing the structure to be illuminated in multi-coloured sequences at night.
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