$80million climate-resilient road to link Guinea and Senegal
The African Development Fund (ADF) has approved a concessional loan of $80.93 million to finance the construction of a 240.71 km climate-resilient asphalt concrete road linking Guinea and Senegal.
The infrastructure project is set to enhance regional integration, boost trade, and improve livelihoods in the two West African nations and benefit over 1.3 million people.
The funding includes $41.47 million allocated to Senegal and $39.46 million to Guinea. The project will focus on constructing and asphalting key sections of the interstate road connecting Labé and Mali in Guinea to Kédougou and Fongolembi in Senegal. This critical corridor will facilitate the transport of forestry, agro-pastoral, and mining products to markets, benefiting local populations and traders.
Deputy Director General for West Africa at the African Development Bank (AfDB), Joseph Ribeiro, noted the initiative's importance, stating, “The African Development Bank is a strategic partner of the transport sector in the West African sub-region and beyond. The Bank’s involvement in this project confirms its leadership in infrastructure development on the continent, aimed at strengthening integration and furthering the African Continental Free Trade Area.”
The 240.71 km road comprises 178.11 km in Guinea and 62.60 km in Senegal. It will feature climate-resilient asphalt concrete, with one 3.60-meter lane in each direction and 1.5-meter hard shoulders. Additionally, 150 km of rural feeder roads (100 km in Guinea and 50 km in Senegal) and 20.26 km of urban paved roads will be constructed, including 14.26 km in the Guinean towns of Labé and Mali (not to be confused with the country of Mali) and six km in Kédougou, Senegal.
The improved road network is expected to benefit hauliers in Mali by providing better access to the port of Conakry via the southern Dakar-Bamako corridor, which passes through Kédougou.
