Senegambia bridge

Last updated
Senegambia Bridge
SenegambiaBridge NorthApproach 23January2019.jpg
Coordinates 13°30′59″N15°34′21″W / 13.51639°N 15.57250°W / 13.51639; -15.57250 Coordinates: 13°30′59″N15°34′21″W / 13.51639°N 15.57250°W / 13.51639; -15.57250
Carries Trans-Gambia Highway and Highway N4
Crosses Gambia River
Locale Bamba Tenda, Gambia and Yelitenda, Gambia
Other name(s)Trans-Gambia Bridge
Maintained byNational Roads Authority [1]
Characteristics
Total length1.9 kilometres (1.2 mi)
Width12 metres (39 ft)
Longest span100 metres (110 yd)
History
Designer BCEOM and SCET Tunisie
Constructed by Isolux Corsán and the Arezki Group
Construction costUS$ 93 million
OpenedJanuary 21, 2019
Statistics
TollUS$ 5 for cars
Senegambia bridge

The Senegambia bridge, also known as the Trans-Gambia Bridge, is a bridge in The Gambia that carries the Trans-Gambia Highway connecting northern and southern Gambia. It also provides access to the isolated Casamance province from the rest of Senegal. A bridge had been proposed for this location in 1956 but political considerations delayed construction which finally began in 2015. Construction was funded largely by a loan of US$ 65 million from the African Development Bank, with remaining funding coming from the Gambian government. Construction works were carried out by a joint venture of Spanish company Isolux Corsán and the Senegalese Arezki Group.

Contents

The bridge, made from reinforced concrete, opened to light vehicles on 21 January 2019. At 1.9 kilometres (1.2 mi) in length it is one of West Africa's longest bridges and includes a 100-metre-wide (110 yd) central span to facilitate continued use of the river by boats. The Senegambia bridge forms part of the Trans-Gambia Highway and the Trans–West African Coastal Highway.

Situation

The bridge lies approximately 10 kilometres (6 mi) south of Farafenni, a Gambian town on the border with Senegal, and carries the Trans-Gambia Highway across the Gambia River. [2] This runs east-west through The Gambia and splits the country in two. The river also prevents easy movement of people from the main portion of Senegal, which lies north of The Gambia, to its southern province of Casamance which is south of the river. [3] Travellers had previously used a ferry crossing at this location, but it was unreliable and delays of 10–20 days waiting for a ferry were not uncommon. [3] [4] The alternative was a 400-kilometre (250 mi) detour eastwards to the next available crossing of the Gambia River. [4] Development in Casamance had been hindered by the poor access to the rest of the country. [2]

Planning

The bridge was first mooted in 1956 and the French government committed funds for its construction in 1971 but the start of works was delayed by periods of strained tensions between Gambia and Senegal. [3] [5] The project was formerly led by the Organisation pour la Mise en Valeur du Fleuve Gambie (OMVG) which commissioned engineering feasibility studies of the scheme from French firm BCEOM and Tunisian firm SCET Tunisie in the 1990s. [1] These studies were updated by the same companies between 2007 and 2009 and form the basis of the current design which has a 100-year design life. [1] [6]

Funding was finally secured through the African Development Fund (ADF) of the African Development Bank (ADB), which contributed US$ 65 million as lead lender for the project. [7] [8] The remaining funding was approved for the project by the Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction government of Gambia; who state that no contribution was made by Senegal. [9] Approval to proceed was granted by the government of Gambia in 2011. [6]

Construction

Final design and planning work commenced in 2012 and construction began in 2015. [2] [3] Construction was led by a joint-venture of Spanish company Isolux Corsán and the Senegalese Arezki Group. The construction contract had a value of 51.7 million euros. [10]

The structure is made of reinforced concrete and has a total length of 1.9 kilometres (1.2 mi) – of which the section that crosses the river is 942 metres (1,030 yd) long. [2] [3] [6] It has piled foundations but unexpectedly thick layers of mud (up to 20 metres (66 ft) in depth) on the river banks caused delays in construction. [11] It is one of the longest bridges in West Africa and incorporates a 100-metre-wide (110 yd) central span to allow for passage of boats along the river. [7] [10] The bridge deck is 12 metres (39 ft) wide and carries a 7.5-metre-wide (25 ft) single-carriageway road. [12]

The bridge's official name is a portmanteau of the names of Senegal and Gambia and is intended to reflect the bonds of friendship between the two countries, but it is also known as the Trans-Gambia Bridge. [11] [13] Total project costs were $93 million. [6] A large portion of the workforce were local: 58 % were Gambians and 20 % were from the wider ECOWAS countries. [11]

The bridge's opening ceremony took place on 21 January 2019 and was led by Gambia's President Adama Barrow and Senegal's President Macky Sall who made the first official crossing of the bridge together shortly after 4:30 p.m. local time. [3] [14] Gambian Vice President Fatoumata Tambajang, the minister of works Bai Lamin Jobe and his Senegalese counterpart Abdoulaye Daouda Diallo were also in attendance. [13] [15] Zinguinchor mayor Abdoulaye Baldé and Senegalese national football team coach Aliou Cissé were also present and Senegalese musician Youssou Ndour performed music at the opening ceremony. [3] [15]

Work to complete the bridge is ongoing, which prevents its opening to anything heavier than a small car. [16] A toll of US$5 is levied for each crossing. [3] Completion of the structure is expected in July 2019. [3] The bridge forms part of a link on the proposed Trans–West African Coastal Highway, part of the Trans-African Highway network. [1] This project, spearheaded by the New Partnership for Africa's Development seeks to link Nouakchott in Mauritania with Lagos in Nigeria via a 15-country, 4,560-kilometre (2,830 mi) highway in the hope of boosting trade and co-operation in the region. [17]

Post-construction

It is hoped that the road will improve co-operation between Gambia and Senegal and facilitate trade in minerals, fuels and foodstuffs. [7] [13] It has had a marked effect on journey times; a trip by road from Dakar to Ziguinchor which previously took a day can now be completed within five hours. [3] Local ferry operators and roadside vendors have complained about the loss of revenue following construction of the bridge. [18]

There is a dispute between the Gambia Ferries Service and the National Roads Authority over which government agency is entitled to the revenue from the bridge. The Ministry of Works, Transport and Infrastructure has negotiated a temporary arrangement whereby the revenue is split between the two. The Gambian press has criticised the government for failing to set up a public–private partnership to ensure tolls fund the future maintenance of the structure. [19]

Related Research Articles

Senegal Country on the coast of West Africa

Senegal, officially the Republic of Senegal, is a country in West Africa. Senegal is bordered by Mauritania in the north, Mali to the east, Guinea to the southeast, and Guinea-Bissau to the southwest. Senegal also surrounds The Gambia, a country occupying a narrow sliver of land along the banks of the Gambia River, which separates Senegal's southern region of Casamance from the rest of the country. Senegal also shares a maritime border with Cape Verde. Senegal's economic and political capital is Dakar.

History of Senegal aspect of history

The history of Senegal is commonly divided into a number of periods, encompassing the prehistoric era, the precolonial period, colonialism, and the contemporary era.

Geography of Senegal

Senegal is a coastal West African nation located 14 degrees north of the equator and 14 degrees west of the Prime Meridian. The country's total area is 196,190 km2 of which 192,000 km2 is land and 4,190 km2 is water.

Politics of Senegal Political system of Senegal

Politics in Senegal takes place within the framework of a presidential democratic republic. The President of Senegal is the head of state and government. Executive power in Senegal is concentrated in the president's hands.

Foreign relations of Senegal

President Léopold Senghor advocated close relations with France and negotiation and compromise as the best means of resolving international differences. To a large extent, the two succeeding presidents have carried on Senghor's policies and philosophies. Senegal has long supported functional integration among French-speaking West African states through the West African Economic and Monetary Union.

Banjul Capital of Gambia

Banjul, officially the City of Banjul, is the capital and fourth largest city of The Gambia. It is the centre of the eponymous administrative division which is home to an estimated 400,000 residents, making it The Gambia's largest and densely populated metropolitan area. Banjul is on St Mary's Island, where the Gambia River enters the Atlantic Ocean. The population of the city proper is 31,301, with the Greater Banjul Area, which includes the City of Banjul and the Kanifing Municipal Council, at a population of 413,397. The island is connected to the mainland to the west and the rest of Greater Banjul Area via bridges. There are also ferries linking Banjul to the mainland at the other side of the river.

Transport in the Gambia

The system of transportation in the Gambia mixes both public and private operations and consists of a system of roads, water and air transportation. The Trans-Gambia Highway runs along both sides of the river Gambia, which bisects the country. The river may be crossed by ferry or the Senegambia bridge. There are no railways in the country.

The Senegambia is, in the narrow sense, a historical name for a geographical region in West Africa, which lies between the Senegal River in the north and the Gambia River in the south. However, there are also text sources which state that Senegambia is understood in a broader sense and equated with the term the Western region. This refers to the coastal areas between Senegal and Sierra Leone, where the inland border in the east were not further defined.

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Senegambia Confederation former confederation between Senegal and The Gambia

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Carabane Village in Senegal

Carabane, also known as Karabane, is an island and a village located in the extreme south-west of Senegal, in the mouth of the Casamance River. This relatively recent geological formation consists of a shoal and alluvium to which soil is added by accumulation in the branches and roots of the mangrove trees which cover most of the island. Along with the rest of Ziguinchor Region, Carabane has a tropical climate, cycling between a dry season and a wet season. The island was once considered an arid location where no useful plants were likely to grow, but it now supports several types of fruit tree, the most common of which are mangos and oranges. Although the nearby Basse Casamance National Park and Kalissaye Avifaunal Reserve have been closed for years because of the Casamance Conflict, Carabane has continued to attract ornithologists interested in its wide variety of birds. Various species of fish are plentiful around the island, but there are very few mammals.

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Musa Ngum was a singer and songwriter who was very popular in Senegal and Gambia. He was one of the pioneers of mbalax music, and "helped to define the mbalax style of popular music in the Senegambia" and "had a strong influence on Youssou N'Dour and other mbalax pioneers". He was "something of a cult icon back in the Senegambia region, and a pioneer of the mbalax fusion style". The mbalax, which originated from the Serer religious and ultra–conservative njuup music tradition sang during Ndut rites by circumcised boys was the foundation of Ngum's music career. He mastered many of the njuup classics and built a name for himself whilst at the same time developing his voice.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Trans-Gambia Corridor Project". National Roads Authority. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Long-awaited bridge over River Gambia inaugurated". News24. Agence France-Presse. 22 January 2019. Retrieved 22 February 2019.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Bridge ends 'centuries' of commuting chaos". BBC. 23 January 2019. Retrieved 22 February 2019.
  4. 1 2 Kemboi, Linus (5 February 2019). "Senegal inaugurates the new Senegambia bridge". Construction Review Online. Retrieved 22 February 2019.
  5. ↑ "Senegambia Bridge belongs to Gambia: President Sall". The Point. 23 January 2019. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
  6. 1 2 3 4 "Landmark Senegambia bridge inaugurated". Agence de Presse Africaine News. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
  7. 1 2 3 "Africa is confronting border challenges with these access bridge links". Ventures Africa. 4 February 2019. Retrieved 22 February 2019.
  8. ↑ Enoghase, Sylvester (10 February 2019). "Africa Future: From Market Stall To Cyberspace". Independent Newspapers Nigeria. Retrieved 22 February 2019.
  9. ↑ Manneh, Yankuba Jallow And Nelson (8 February 2019). "Gambia: Review Deportation of Gambians From Abroad – APRC Interim Leader". Foroyaa Newspaper. Retrieved 22 February 2019.
  10. 1 2 "Isolux Corsán Awarded Its First Contract in Gambia for the Construction of a Bridge for 51.7M€". CISION PR News Wire. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
  11. 1 2 3 Kang'ereha, Dorcas (26 July 2018). "Gambia to inaugurate Trans-Gambia Bridge in January 2019". Construction Review Online. Retrieved 25 February 2019.
  12. ↑ "From Trans-Gambia to Senegambia – A bridge over troubled water?". 4IP Group. 29 January 2019. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
  13. 1 2 3 "Senegambia Bridge Inaugurated". Foroyaa Newspaper. 22 January 2019. Retrieved 22 February 2019.
  14. ↑ "Sénégal – Gambie: inauguration du « Senegambia Bridge » (vidéo de réalisation)". Benin Web TV (in French). 23 January 2019. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
  15. 1 2 "Sénégal-Gambie : Macky Sall et Adama Barrow inaugurent le « Senegambia Bridge »". KOACI. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
  16. ↑ "Why Is The Senegambia Bridge Opened Before Completion?". Foroyaa Newspaper. 24 January 2019. Retrieved 22 February 2019.
  17. ↑ "Highways link 15 West African countries". United Nations. Africa Renewal Online.
  18. ↑ Jabkhiro, Juliette (1 February 2019). "Trans-Gambia bridge a boon for trade, but a blow for local traders". Reuters. Retrieved 22 February 2019.
  19. ↑ Mbai, Pa Nderry (15 February 2019). "The Trans-Gambia Bridge – A Symbol of Senegambian Unity or A Source of Discord". Freedom Newspaper. Retrieved 22 February 2019.
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