We continued our journey toward Cape Town, with the spectacular Bloukrans Bridge directly on our route. This monumental concrete arch bridge is widely celebrated as an engineering marvel and has become one of South Africa’s premier adventure destinations, so naturally, we had to stop and admire it.
Spanning the dramatic Bloukrans River gorge along the N2 national highway, the bridge connects the Eastern Cape and Western Cape provinces. Rising about 216 metres above the river, it is widely recognised as Africa’s highest bridge. The structure measures 451 metres in total length, with an impressive central arch span of 272 metres.
Before the bridge was built, travellers driving between Plettenberg Bay and Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth) had to negotiate the winding roads of the historic Bloukrans Pass, which was closed during our visit. Construction began in February 1980 and finished in June 1983, with the official opening on 10 June 1983. The project was designed by the South African engineering firm Liebenberg and Stander and constructed by Concor and Murray & Roberts.
When it opened, Bloukrans was the world’s highest concrete arch bridge. Its construction used the challenging stayed cantilever method, in which temporary towers and cables supported arch sections as they were built outwards from opposite sides of the gorge until they met precisely in the middle. This sophisticated engineering approach also helped minimise disturbance to the sensitive indigenous Tsitsikamma forest ecosystem growing in the gorge below.
Although the bridge was built primarily to carry traffic, it has since achieved international fame as an adrenaline hotspot. It is home to Bloukrans Bridge Bungy, operated by Face Adrenalin, which offers one of the world’s most famous commercial bridge-bungee experiences. The jump, from a platform beneath the bridge, is recognised by Guinness World Records as the world’s highest commercial bridge bungee jump.
For visitors who prefer adventure without taking the plunge, the SkyWalk experience offers an alternative. This guided excursion takes visitors along a specially designed, secure mesh catwalk beneath the road deck, providing an extraordinary perspective of the bridge’s immense structure and leading towards the top of the concrete arch. Another attraction is a cable slide spanning about 200 metres across the dramatic gorge.
