Decongesting streets: Douala City Council awards 41 billion FCFA contract to Chinese company.

Shopping centre in Deido neighbourhood of Douala

The management of the Douala City Council has signed a contract worth 41.4 billion FCFA to decongest streets in the economic capital so as to further ease traffic flow.



French language newspaper, Defi Actuel, reports that the City Council signed the contract with the China First Highway Engineering Company, CFHEC, a subsidiary of the China Communications Construction Company, specialised in building of strategic highways and delivery of housing construction projects.

The company will work to create freer access into and out of the city by dismantling old structures and building new and more modern ones in two densely populated quarters of the nation’s economic capital – Bonamoussadi and Bepanda.

The Douala City Council through the project plans to develop roads on the banks of the river Wouri, between the Deido roundabout and the Maetur roundabout in Bonamoussadi. 

The successful execution of the job is expected to facilitate access from the areas around Douala V and Douala III councils to the central area of the city.

In order to open up the area around the banks of the river Wouri, up to Deido roundabout, officials estimate that the works would require the construction of not less than the equivalent of 10 kilometres of a modern and sophisticated road.

The project includes the construction of a main quay of 2 x 2 lanes, with a central reservation area spanning over a length of 3,900 metres. There is also the building of two urban boulevards of 2 x 2 lanes with a central reservation to connect the road to the Maetur roundabout. 

This also covers a distance of 1,700 metres on the one hand, and the extension by over 400 metres of the Bepanda heavy axis. There are also various assessor provisions to be developed such as shopping areas, green spaces, landing spots, and so on. 

According to Defi Actuel, China First Highway Engineering Company is expected to build diversion routes leading to identified quarry areas and level crossings to cross the district towards the river. 

There is also a retaining wall to be constructed around the same market area, an embarkment for surrounding marshy areas, a pedestrian path and a service road for the district communities crossed.

Residents of the Douala V and III councils, as per reports, will thus be able to reach the city centre with less hassle.

The project will be financed through a loan made available by the China Communications Construction Company to the city council. The work is expected to be completed within a period of 24 months.

 

This story was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3255 of Thursday October 10, 2024

 

 

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