The bidding process for the $700 million Brazzaville-Kinshasa Bridge has been set for June, 2025. The rail-road project is expected to take shape soon, as the winner of the bidding process will be announced by September. This endeavor marks a significant milestone in the project’s implementation, considering the stall since 2017. Moreover, the monumental project is backed by the African Union, which aims to ensure the project’s implementation as part of its infrastructure development agenda. Once the bidding process is done, financial closing is anticipated to follow soon after.
This is expected to pave the way for construction, which is set to begin as early as November, 2025. Meanwhile, the governments involved in the project have made strides in ensuring it is implemented. Both the Democratic Republic of Congo government and that of the Republic of Congo have finalized key agreements. These include the concession framework and the harmonization of tax. Moreover, both have also made agreements on the financial regulations that will ensure successful implementation.
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The Scope of Implementation on the Brazzaville-Kinshasa Bridge
The implementation of the Brazzaville-Kinshasa bridge aims to achieve a fixed link between the cities of Brazzaville and Kinshasa. Brazzaville is located in the Democratic Republic of Congo while Kinshasa is located in the Republic of Congo. Once completed, the project will provide a mixed road and rail bridge on the Congo River at Malukou Trechot. Moreover, it entails road and rail links in both countries and also joint border control points.
A border control point will be located at each end of the bridge, housing border control officers. Africa50 notes that the rail-road bridge is expected to have a total length of 1,575 meters and 10 bays that will be divided along this stretch. The implementation of the Brazzaville-Kinshasa bridge is part of a larger project, the Kinshasa-Ilebo railway project. The main aim of this grand project is improve the rail network in Africa. It is expected to contribute to increased regional trade and facilitate regional integration between Central and Southern Africa.
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