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Dec 19, 2025
At Bechtel, our teams build projects that transform communities. From complex megaprojects that reshape regions to trail bridges that connect remote villages to essential services, we bring the same commitment to every project: delivering infrastructure that makes a lasting difference.
Nearly one billion people worldwide lack reliable, year-round access to education, healthcare, and markets because of a simple infrastructure gap: rivers made impassable by seasonal rains. In rural communities across East Africa, this means children miss school for months, families risk their lives to reach medical care, and local businesses lose income.
Since 2016, Bechtel has partnered with Bridges to Prosperity (B2P), a nonprofit that builds trail bridges in rural areas across Ethiopia, Rwanda, and Uganda, giving communities year-round access to essential services. Together, B2P and Bechtel have completed eight bridges in Rwanda, serving more than 32,000 people. Each year, Bechtel volunteers donate their time and expertise, working alongside local residents, to make these projects possible.
The partnership combines B2P’s community-centered development model with our project delivery expertise and safety culture, strengths we have refined through decades of delivering complex infrastructure worldwide. In addition, Bechtel Group Foundation has contributed more than $335,000 in the partnership to date, supporting project selection, technical reviews, construction, and community engagement.
In November 2025, a team of 15 Bechtel volunteers — representing 11 different projects, six global business units, and 10 nationalities — spent two weeks working alongside 41 local residents to build the Mutovu Trail Bridge. At 120 meters (393 feet), it’s the longest suspended bridge in Rwanda’s Southern Province and now provides nearly 5,000 residents in the Munini and Muganza communities with safe, reliable access across the Giswi River. The bridge replaces a structure destroyed by climate change-induced flooding in 2019, restoring a connection the communities had relied on for years.
The technical scope was substantial, totaling 360 meters of steel decking, one kilometer of 1.25-inch steel cable secured with 1,440 bolts, 240 pieces of rebar, and 220 cubic meters of rock backfill. All materials were transported from nearby roads and constructed by hand in challenging terrain. The project also required detailed planning and sequencing work, such as setting the steel cables at the precise tension needed to span 120 meters safely, to ensure the bridge’s structural integrity and to remain on schedule.
Safety shaped every decision. On the first day, Bechtel volunteers learned three important Kinyarwanda phrases — hagarara (stop), tugende (go), and buhroro (slowly) — to move a 160-meter cable across the river. Experienced volunteers trained local workers, many of whom were using power tools and personal protective equipment for the first time, in proper safety practices. Together, the team also developed creative solutions, like using sailing knots to pull heavy steel cables across the river, eliminating the need for team members to enter the water. These efforts helped the team complete the project with zero incidents.
Through B2P projects, Bechtel and community teams build more than bridges; they help expand local capabilities. Local residents gain hands-on experience with construction techniques and safety practices that prepare them to maintain the bridge for decades. In turn, Bechtel volunteers have the opportunity to manage diverse teams, adapt to resource constraints, and learn from local residents in a setting where impact is immediate and long-lasting.
Working shoulder to shoulder with residents reinforced a shared sense of purpose. Each morning of the Mutovu build began with traditional Rwandan dancing and team stretches. This routine built trust and strengthened collaboration. Throughout the project, the team functioned as one integrated unit — a hallmark of Bechtel’s “one team” approach to project delivery.
The Mutovu team also contributed to the community in other ways. They visited a nearby school serving approximately 1,000 students, where they donated more than 1,000 items (including calculators, soccer balls, and books) to support local education. The team also provided personal protective equipment from our projects and an automated external defibrillator to enhance safety practices for future projects in the region.
The best infrastructure projects solve more than technical problems. They connect people to opportunity, build local capabilities, and demonstrate how collaboration between skilled teams and committed communities creates lasting impact. This was evident at the Mutovu Bridge inauguration, where government leaders, B2P representatives, and more than 300 community members came together to celebrate the bridge and the renewed access to education, markets, and healthcare it provides.
As we look toward our ninth bridge build in 2026, we remain focused on what these bridges make possible: stronger communities, expanded economic opportunity, and a future where safe access is never out of reach.
