Constructed by CGWIC/HENAN CHINA, a Chinese joint venture made up of China Great Wall Industry Corporation, and China Henan International Corporation Group Co, Pont de Foundiougne, the longest bridge in Senegal and the entire West African region, has been opened to traffic.
At a length of approximately 1,748.2 meters, the bridge is made up of a 1,290.2-meter main bridge structure, a 50-meter access road, a 300-meter access bridge on the Ndakhonga side, and a 108-meter-long access road on the Foundiougne side.
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The permitted traffic speed on the Pont de Foundiougne, which reportedly has a life span is 100 years, is 80 km per hour.
Noteworthy, EIG has erected a channel with a net width of 40 meters and a net height of 28 meters to allow shipping on the Saloum River to continue. Boats can therefore continue to cruise along the Saloum River.
Significance of the Pont de Foundiougne
Pont de Foundiougne, the construction of which began in February 2018 with funding from the Export-Import Bank of China and the Senegalese Government, will serve as a shortcut to the Casamance region as well as the neighboring republic of Gambia.
It will also allow the restoration of the national road N°6 at the level of the Saloum River, to increase the fluidity of the circulation on the roads N ° 1, N ° 4 and N ° 5, and offer a direct road link between the localities of Dakonga and Foundiougne, replacing the boats that provide daily transport between the banks, via the river as a result.
