PM launches construction of roads in Bamenda today.

Lots 1 and 2 of the section of the road from Babadjou in the West Region to Welcome to Bamenda in the North West Region, will be commissioned in the presence of a host of cabinet members and regional constituted corps of the North West Region, according to a programme seen by The Guardian Post.

While in Bamanda, the PM and his entourage will also visit the Leisure Park adjacent the Governor’s Office and the Bamenda new market; all projects realised courtesy of the French Debt Relief programme, C2D. 

The Prime Minister will also the lay the foundation stone of the administrative block of the Mile 4 market, another C2D project.

The high point of his visit will be the flagging off of construction works of the long-awaited Bamenda Urban Crossing, a critical road axis linking parts of the North West Regional capital.

The project will see the tarring of the following stretches; the Amour Mezam Junction-Finance Junction- Veterinary Junction -T-Junction - Hospital Roundabout- Food Market-City Chemist Roundabout-Veterinary Junction sections, stretching over 6.538 km.

In June last year, the World Bank approved the significant funding for the project, totaling 30 billion FCFA. The whopping sum of money is destined for the tarring of the stretches of road in the city which are currently in a deplorable state.

The announcement was made by the Minister of Public Works, Emmanuel Nganou Djoumessi. The development came amidst growing concerns over the state of roads in Bamenda. 

The long-awaited funding came as a sigh of relief to commuters in the city who, at the moment, are facing difficulties accessing parts of the metropolis. The state of roads in Bamenda have for years now, been a source of public anger. 

Degraded portion of roads in the city have since degenerated into crater lakes, rendering movements within and out of the city almost impossible.

Following the approval of the World Bank funding, hopes are now alive that the road network in the city will largely be improved upon.

In announcing the funding for the major roads in Bamanda, Emmanuel Nganou Djoumessi, disclosed that the initiative is part of the rehabilitation of the Babadjou-Bamenda road which will be inaugurated tomorrow.

The minister had said the funding was approved on June 14, 2024, by the Breton Woods institution. The additional funding of 30 billion FCFA, he added, was approved by the World Bank's Board of Executive Directors.

The government official disclosed that the additional funding will cover the widening of the cross-section of the said urban crossing from 17 to 30 metres, as expressly requested to the Head of State by the population concerned. 

“It is worth noting that the remaining works on this chain of the Bamenda-Babadjou major road will start before the end of the year 2024, to make the commitment of the Head of State, His Excellency Paul Biya, a reality, in modernising road infrastructure in the North West Region. This plays a key role in normalising the socio- political context in the area,” the minister’s statement said.

The execution of the project, the minister said, will decongest the City of Bamenda and enable smooth traffic flow on the section of the Yaounde-Bamenda-Mamfe-Ekok/Mfum-Abakaliki-Enugu corridor (438 km) which has already been paved. 

Babadjou-Bamenda road completed

Work on the first section of the Babadjou-Bamenda road, it should be said, has been completed. The project has been completed both on the main Babadjou-Bamenda road and on related projects. 

The related projects have brought relief to local residents, both in terms of their mobility and the transportation of goods and services. 

The routes concerned are the Toumaka-Bafenga-Bamekoupere road, which is 8.8 km long, and the Carrefour Peter Madem road with an entrance ramp to the Catholic Mission St. Charles Lwanga-Bawa Chefferie, which is 1.7 km long. 

Funding of 1,162,880,190 FCFA and 195,599,400 FCFA respectively has been provided for the said projects. 

The completed construction of a 2x3, 5x2, 5 gutter on the Tchi Neuh river, 7m long at Bamendousso, is now enabling people to cross the watercourse in complete safety.

 With regards the two routes, it should be noted that the clearing of the right-of-way, the earthworks, the laying of the lateritic gravel sub-base, the concrete base course and the two-layer surfacing have all been completed over 10.5 km. 

The nine prefabricated culverts planned for the two routes have also been laid, and the planned culvert has been built. As for the Babadjou-Matazem section (17 km), the work has been completed.

The clean-up work, the clearing of the right-of-way, the sub-base course, the base course in gravel tar, the impregnation, the surfacing of the shoulders and the road markings have all been completed on the 17 km of the said section.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3567 of Wednesday September 17, 2025