Construction work is due to commence in 2023 on the new bridge connecting Kinshasa, the capital of Democratic Republic of the Congo, with Brazzaville, the capital of Congo Republic.
The 1.575km bridge will span the Congo River and carry road and rail traffic as well as featuring facilities for pedestrians. It is planned to open in 2028. The project is costing US$550 million, with $210 million being supplied by the African Development Bank (AfDB).
However, other works will need to be carried out also to complete the transport connections. These include rebuilding the road between Matadi and Kinshasa and building a rail link between Kinshasa and Ilebo. Also included is the need for a new deep water port at Banana.
Building the link will help transport in the corridor running between Libya’s capital, Tripoli, and Namibia’s capital, Windhoek. The work will also improve transport between the DRC’s port of Matadi and Pointe-Noire in the Congo Republic.
