Feeder links from Gabon, Equatorial Guinea and the Congo the trans-African highway

UNITED NATIONS

ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL

Distr.

LIMITED

, e/cn. 14/trans/99

19 October 1973 Original: FRENCH ENGLISH

ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR AFRICA

FEEDER LINES'

FROM GABON, EQUATOEIAlTGUIBEA. AlTD-THE-CONGOi

TO THE TRANS-AFEICAN -HIGHWA.Y . i

TABLE- OF-

O

Paragraphes

I5 Introduction --- — — — .-_>-

.II—.. Feeder link from Gabon and Equartorial Guinea A Gabonese section ____-- _-_ _ _...-:-^_

B Section in Equatorial Guinea—,— --•——.,.-*-—■

C Caraeroonian section ---:-..-- ——i Table 1 showing conditions. a.long'theT feeder-link

from Gabon and Equatorial'^Guinea - - — _^ — — Feeder link from the Congole-se*'road

A Congolese section - - - -J— -.--—<- _ - - -

B The Central African Republic ..section - -- — Table 2 reviewing conditions of the various

sections of the Brazzaville-Baoro feeder link Conclusion

■ 1"2

3 -4-7

8 9-11

12 13-14 15-16

17-18

■19

20-21

1 1 1-2

2 3

5

6 6-7

7 8 8

M73-2858

p. ft

.-V.---P

O ,

o

E/CN. 14/TRANS/99 :

O

o

FEEDER LINKS

FROM GABON, EQUATORIAL GUINEA AND TEE CONGO TO THE TRANS-AFRICAN HIGHWAY'"""'

I- Introduction

1. The road, networks of these three countries may be linked to the Trans- African Highway,in either of the "following' two^waysT

(a) The. following may be employed for all three countries:

Brazzaville - Dolisie (Congo)- - Lambarene - Mitzic - Oyem - Bitam (Gabon) - Yaounde - Bafoussam (Cameroon). This route is

2,1$5_km long - 631 km in Cameroon, 929' km in Gabon and;625 km ■

in the Congo. It is linked to the road networkof Equatorial.

Guinea via the 245-km Bata - Ebebiyin - Bitam road. . .••«■•

(b) Alternatively, two routes may be employed. One road would.follow

the coast from Libreville (in Gabon) to Bafoussam in Cameroon.

-,, From.Mitzic to Bafoussam this road would be the same as the one ■ '

described above with a feeder link from Bata joining it at

Bitam. --The second road would start at Brazzaville and traverse

; the entire eastern portion of the Congo ending at Baoro in the Central African Republic.

2. In addition to an ocean port at Pointe Noire,, the Congo possesses a railway which runs between Pointe Wore and Brazzaville (the- former Congo- Ocean line) with a. road, a.number of sections, of which are permanent, paralleling it. The second" alternative is, therefpre, preferable because it will make it possible to open up the north-eastern part of the Congo and it is in line with priorities set by the. Government, in 1970 when it decided' to construct a road from Pointe Noire "to Ouesso in tli'V north-east nea.r the border with Cameroon and the Central African Republic.

II- Feeder link from Gabon and Equatorial Guinea

3. ' The shortest, route is the Libreville.- Mitzic -Oyem - Bitam - Ebolowa Yaounde - Bafoussam road, which is 1,183 km long going through Medouneu or 1,221 km long going through Bifoum. This road is connected to the Gabone.se road network by the 245-km Bata'-Bitam road-

Condition of the Road

A, Gabonese section .

4* , From Libreville to the Cameroonian.border, this road is 552 km long

via Medouneu-arid 590 km long via Bifoum. ' Although it is 38 km longer than

the Libreville - Medouneu - Mitzic route, the Libreville - Bifoum- Njole ~

Lalara road, 'which has had a great many improvements done-to it," is more

practicable, and in better condition. . . . . ,

E/CN. 14/TRANS/-99

Page 2

5- It may be described as follows: •-■■ ■

(a) Libreville - Bifoum, 174 km: This is an improved, all-weather

road. Two of its sectionsj one' between Libreville and Kougouleu

(about 75 km) and ths other "between Oyan and Bifoum (about 35 km)

are asphalted. However, at Kango, on the Gabon Estuary, it. is necessary to take a ferry (40 ton). -.;,.. . __..-'-^...^

' '"'■ (b) Br-Toum -Nd.jole -Bitam - Oameroonian borde ', 472 km: This all-'

weather road provides' tha main channel of land communication' :

inside Gabon. It passes through the main settlements in the country or is linked to "them-by a' network of all-weather roads.

•j . /It is the old federal highway. ' ,. - ■ *

6. -.However, the design :standards' of this road wore ' uneven and vary

in accordance with the terrain traversed.- Its total ' formation width is generally from 5'to 6 metres. Although this road has been subject to a great deal of improvement, the alignment needs to be adjusted in several

places. .■-.-.'■■• ."-.'■ ■ ■ ■ '. ' r

7. -Investments have been made in connexion with the following sections:

-"■ (a)"'Ebel -^d'joleg 47 km: Adjustments to the alignment and'improvements

■■■■" . on-'the carriageway have been planned since I965 at a total cost

of US$3,093,000, 85 per cent of which is to be financed by IBRD.

This figure includes the cost of constructing two bridges, one at

■:-. .-•'Ebel and the other at Oyem over the Ogoue. The Ministry of Public .-■v, : --Works has" begun-to adjust the alignment of this road on high' ' ...

-■ passes at a cost of about 2.5 million CFA francs financed by/the!^

<: ■ national' budget. • "- *

(b). Ndjole - Alembe,' 63' km: Work on this section was also planned in

"■■."■■: 1965 and involved improving the alignment and the carriageway at

a cost of US$3,680,000, 85 per cent of which was to be financed ' by IBRD.

.■_... .: "-:■, ; ... .;-•:-'•...^-T. , ... t----

(c) Alembe - Lalara, 109 km: This section was improved in 1966 at

■ ■■-■;.. - a cost of US$3* 6 million, 85 per cent of which" was financed by , -..can IBRD/20-year lean. ■ .-■■-. ■-■•: ■ ■■ :'a"^

(d) Lalara - Bitzic, -56 km: In 1966 another request was submitted

to IBRD asking it to finance tiae improvement and construction of this section. '_ ■ „_._ „..

B. Section in Equatorial Guinea . : . ..._-..;_:...-•--; -.-:.-

8. Because-the territory of-Equatorial 'Guinea is so 'small, its road network is not greatly .developed. Its most important feature is a road which '_

begins' .at Acalayon^- at the mouth of the Temboni River in' the ' southir^atern .' - part of the country;1 passes through the main settlements and ends at'

Ebebiyin near the border with Gabon and Cameroon,' There are two or three "

other roads in Equatorial Guinea, which join this main road. The Bata - Ebebiyin road does not feed directly into the Trans-African Highway but meets the Lambarene - Yaounde - Bafoussam road at Bitam, 15 km inside the Gabonese border. From Bata, which is the largest city in continental

o

o

E/CN. 14/TRANS/99

■Page 3

Equatorial Guinea, this road consists of the following two main - ^

sections:, ■ ■*■ ~* * ■■■:.*' ■ p • —■

(a) A 135-km section which runs frorp:-Bata. to about 10 km beyond^Ncue.

This.:is-a" two-lanev improved, asphalt roady -wh-ich"passes through

Niefang. " " ~ ,

■ ■.(•■■".

•.■'■' (b) A 1TO-km section to Ebebiyih. This is a hard-dirt road, which

is not much improved and is'not very practicable- At Ebebiyin there is a ferry and a partially improved 15-kih road 'to Bitam.

C. Cameroonian section . ' ' \' . , ''_ ■; ■-_'"-'■

9. On the Cameroonian section of the feeder link from Gabon and Equatorial Guinea, there are 631 km from the Gabonese border to Bafoussam, where the road joins the Trans-African Highway. This road may be considered in two sections, the first, from the Gabonese border to Yaounde and the second, from Yaounde to Bafoussara.

■ (a) From the Gabonese border to Yaounde, 279 km

10. This section is not uniform throughout owing to the uneven terrain and because some parts have been improved and others, not.

(i) For the 219 km from the Gabonese border to the juncture of the

Obout - Sangmelima road about 10 km south of Mbalmayo, there is an earth road, which is a relatively well maintained, all- weather road. Since 1961 there have been plans to asphalt the two sections from the border to Ebolowa and from Ebolowa to .Mbalmayo at a cost of US® 3,440,000 and US82.8 million,

respectively; however, it seems that this has not yet been done.

(ii) In 1962 the 60-km between the Obout-Sangmelima juncture and

Yaounde was improved and entirely asphalted at a cost of

■- US$2,OO5,OOO credited by

(b) From Yaounde to Bafoussam, 352 km

11. The design of this road also varies in quality, some sections being well maintained and asphalted while others are earth roads of uneven alignment. The road may be considered in the following sections:

(i) From Yaounde to Obala, 38 km: The carriageway of this section

is 8 metros wide, and its shoulders are 3 metres wide;

the carriageway is entirely asphalted. The alignment is in general good, and the only work needed is to reinforce the carriageway and maintain the drainage system.

(ii) From Obala to Bafia, 124 km: This is an earth road, which in

places is surfaced with gravel or silty clay. The carriageway

varies in width from 6 to 8 metres. The region is fairly flat,

and as a result the alignment is relatively good and the grades, easy. For a distance of 20 km beyond Obala, there is an asphalted stretch with a carriageway 6 metres wide and 3-metre shoulders.

E/CN. 14/TRA.NS/99

Page 4

(iii) From Ba'fia to Ndikihimeki, 65'km: This is an earth" road, which,,

despite many curves, is relatively good and praticable.

(iv)' 'From Ndikinimeki to Bafoussam, 125 km: This is an earth road

(laterite for the most part), which is relatively good'and regularly maintained. However, because the area'traversed is mountainous and very uneven, both the horizontal and the vertical

alignment are in places very.difficult to. manoeuvre and should be

adjusted. . , . ;

12. Table 1 shows conditions along the. feeder link from Gabon and

Equatorial Guinea. - -" ■ ■''--• •■

O

O

.Table 1

E/CN.14/TRANS/99 _

Country, Sections

Roads ! with few •!

or no ! .Asphalt .! Improved- !

roads ., ! roads a/ !

km ■ %-! km % \

vementsby * Comments

km — % ! : ■; •■ '"

Gabon_{•' 0}

O

Libreville-Bifoum:

. 174 km

Bifoum-tfitzic-border 472 km

Total Gabon: 646 km

110

r t

_ t

■!•

64 472

I 1

r 1 _I_t Z.

110 ■ 17. I 536 83 !

1 1 1

r

1 IXA has no

! information i as .to in-

! vestments

■! for improv-

! ing this

! road. ■ .

Equatorial Guinea'

! Ba;fca-Ebebiyin:. 230 .kmL.1'20.

Ebebiyin-Bitam: 15 km

Total Guineat 245 km 120 49 15 6.1! 110 .. , • !

I , . I

I 110 , - ! The Ebebiyin-

!■ _ ._ ! Bitam section

! which connects 44*9! the Guinean

!. network, to P"tHeT Lambarene-

Yaounde road is actually in Gabonese Territory.

O

Cameroon ! Border-Yaounde:

.. ! ^ 2)9..km.

" ■ . Yaounde-Bafoussam:

■ I 352 km " '

!- Total Cameroon:

.- ! 631 km

60' \' -

58- ". -294

I r

— I [

I

!

1

"- I

T

! 118 18-7! 513.. 81.3! -

—f

_ 1

Total

- . !

Libreville-Bafoussam:!

(via Bata) 1,522 km! 348 22.9!1,064

t

69.9! 110 7.2!

! . I

a/ "Improved roads" means all-weather roads, which have at'some time been

improved. ■ ■ - - ' ' - .

b/ ."Roads with .few or no improvements" means roads which are not' all-weather

roads and have sections that are dangerous or impasaable.

e/cn. 14./THANS/.99 Page 6 "■•■. -:

III. Feeder link from the Congolese road network

13-?,,....-Th.e;.-feeder. link which ..has,/beeji, selected to., join-the-Congolese road-: -.

network to the Trans-African Highway has a 'number of advantages from both the national and the ^international points of view. At the national level, it will provide.a link between the northeastern part of the country and

Brazzaville, on- the river.- Despite its' potential as a producer of agricul

tural and'foro'st products, this forest'ed and swampy region-is to aljl intents*- and purposes isolated from the rest of the country and has not benefited '■■ frora-investmehtsi Aside from the Sangha "rrver~,-"'a'* tributary" 'bf tfie Congo',"""

the road chosen as a link constitutes the only existing means of ljand

1 transportation. At the international level, it should promote' trade among"

* and. the development o'f the following adjacent regions of three countries:

the northern region of the Congo, the -southeastern, region of^Cameroon and southwestern region of the.Central African Republic. ,.: . ■

14".: ' Between Brazzaville and'Baor?, where it mee.jt.sY.the. /Trans-A'f.'r.ican

l.Highway,, this ..road is' 1,410.km long,:-520:.km" in the... Congo ;and-.,49.O rkm.r.-rin-.T:the.--.

...Central African Republic. This road traverses land of various types of soil and vegetation, and its design standards change accordingly,-" from those' o-f" a\

an- improved road to those of. a bush track. • \ -, ... • ,■,..';,' \ "•-■-•■£ ':

L:A.: -.-Congolese section, 920 km : ;

■ ■15- 'The-Congolese section of the road extends from Brazzaville to'Bomassa,

: a- small-post at the intersection-of the borders of Cameroon, the Central :'-African--Republic and the Congo. This section may be considered in' the

.< follpwing-.thr.e,e..,parj;s.;..i,-. ... ,.. -•-....•■- - ■ ■• - - •—. —. . -—---■ .--.r!-r! :.ii- -, ---r^-

• 111 ■

(a) Brazzaville'to Gamboma, 331 km: Investments:have" recently beejn'■-r

made in this road, which 'traverses the Lefini reserve. Since December 1972, 115 kilometres in addition to'-the 75 ;km which were

already asphalted have'been entirely improved and asphalted,

toiich- means that :1&5"'knPof thi's "section are asphalted. There are . reports that the remaining1 146 km; are in ■ the.'-process ..of- being

asphalted and that it has been decided to construct...,a bridge over . ,r -. the Lefini Riyer.rto- replace -the_ol.df -3O-ton..farry;.-r The-.Cpngp-1-.ese-

Government was to sign an assistance convention vjith the ^Italian . Government with a view | to the construction'of' this bridge. r.' : -Ab.) -.From Gamboma to-j->akoua, - 2-7 2-.km :■ ...The.first. ..sec.tion--Qf--.thisr.r.oa.d. : .

traverses a series of plateaux and rivers, requiring the use of

■ . - ferries, some of which are in a ■ precarious condition. -..The.-.road- then traverses a wet land, where it is not very practicable, especially during the rainy season. The 30 km of the road after ,__ ; . ( . Obouya have recently been asphalted. . It then be.comes an improved

earth .ro.ad to .Makoua, a dis.tance of about 100 km-. ■ The. asphalting of the Gamboma - Makoua section is included in the road programme announced by the Congolese Government in 1972.

(c) From Makoua to Bomacsa, 317 km: In general, this road becomes

much more precarious and its condition more deteriorated as it advances. Over the 250 km up to Ouesso, the first section is an improved earth road, while the second section, which traverses a

E/CN. 14/TRANS/99

Page 7,,

wet-land, is poorly maintained with an irregular alignment.

After Ouesso, there is no road at all, not even a track suitable for automobiles. ' ---^

16. The [programme! referred to'above also ^provides for asphalting the

Makoua-Oue s sot-, road; j ' i

T ■■■e-v.-io • ! . ■■

B. The vCentraIr-A-frican-.:Republ'ic .isection ■■

... If ;

17i:;'"'-3*hid. road extends from ,th'e border, post at Bomassa Ltp Baoro on the..,",-( ■

^Rran:s^fj:Tcan'highway"''* "It riiay' •ttig;'^n^ijie'rej^i^^fo^J2se^t'^Pjg's> A3 A3 '"'*' "'"'"

FoTOaws: .!

cr-.n

"5r.)'r-j:;;;(:ay) :; Prom Ouessb-to Sal'6) .1118 kmrB-Triis is only a hard-dirt track,

^; A'-i'-iL' 'I which is not maintained and is i'n poor condition. It is not '-AV • - '■ practicable during th'e rainy season. 1

:to--c(b;).: From Salo ;.'to Berberati, 18O km: 1 This is an earth road which was

! recently i'mproved by;!loggers, who als.o,rsee,. that, :jLt ,is maintained- .-.jv'c-Ta-.i ., -^ is an g;ii_wea-ther;lrond although ra'in'b'arrie'rs are required.

Berbe'rati to Bao'ro, 191 km:'. This too. is,an earth road, but

"-voiv-i '■' i-t is^epo'rted to. be !fa-irly--well' maintained.'and ,to..be ^an all- .-..,,.,yf , ";o ! weather ro'ad although! rain barri'ers are required/ * t. 1

o:!i'i ».i* M :! '! ^ !

ji8.\,r.rThei'Bureau has:'no_informat"ion concerning any projects to improve the

:jrbadvvbe.tw.eon QuessoVand Baoro.;' I ' '■

o

Baoro.

Lfi no !

;i-r ov :!

t ^'

T.-.v" :" ■■ ^ .-V 10 ■-: ■

icti

C1^'

'to

: old:- ;f-i J -•'1: '

-m?i .'■.■::,-. :a-:.. .._.'

■fi-*

x-'.o

^.-.'irKt!-'.:;'- «i'.i": .-'- I1' --. '-.i--.-' r ■ -'- ^ ""■'.v C

E/CN. 14/TRANS/99

Page 8-

Table 2

Country- Sections

Asphalt^

roads

km \

! ! Roads !

! ! with few !

! ! or no !

t Improved. ! impro—j~ ■ \ P'roads ! vements I'

km

f> j km !

?fa J Comments Congo

: ■ ■ *

CAR

Total

I

-I

' !.

1

!

.' i

i

.... f-

i

■ ■■ - v

1

I I 1

I

!

i r

P

i

i I

I

I j t TI

1.

2.

3.

■ -

Brazzaville-Gamboma.

.,331 km

Gamboma-Makdua:

272 km ; ■ '

Makoua-Bomassa:

317 km

Total Conffo: 920 km

1.

2.

3o

Bomassa-Salo:

118 km

Salo-Berberati:

180 km

Berberati-Baoro:

191 km !

Total CAR: 489 km Brazzaville-Baoro:

-k

^{409 km}

r

! 185

, 30

—

215

215

! - 1

... ... ^

I I , T

- .

. ..A

1

t

!~

1 f

23.4!

! I 1 - t 1

1

m1

~ \

I

i

15.3!

_I

146.

:242

222

610

-

-

191

191 801

! -._;!__

!:' I I

■:.:-;:!■

■ ■■- '

.-: J.

- !

!

! a!.

r

66,3!

I 1

r

- 1

1

i

- !

I

39 i

56.8:

i

-

95

■: *

95

118

180

298 393

•

—

10-3

_

__

61,

27.9,

' Asphalting

! reportedly ' under way on

! the 146-km 1 unasfhalted

section Improvements , and asphalt- . ing planned

Improvements t of 247-km on the Makoua- Uuessp section

■ also -planned

:

No information on planned work

o

o

Conclusion

20. The Libreville-Bafoussam route is already an international all-weather road. The only sections which are not all-weather roads are in Equatorial Guinea. These sections comprise a total of 110 km or 7.2 per cent of the

feeder link from the road network of Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.

21. On the Brazzaville - Baoro route there are only 215 km which are

asphalted, all of them in the Congo. Koreover, this route includes a 95-km

section and a 118 section (15-1 per cent of the entire road) on either side

of the border between the Congo and the Central African Republic, which cannot be manoeuvred in an automobile.

I 1 : r

FEEDER LINKS FROM CONGO, GABON AND EQUATORIAL GUINEA

TO THE TRANS-AFRICAN HIGHWAY

RACCORDEMENT DE8 RESEAUX ROUTIERS DU CONGO DU GABON ET DE LA GUINEE EQUATORIALE A LA ROUTE TRANSAFRICAINE

J

~7

REP CENTRAFRICAINE

c ^7-"

(Obolo [VAOUNOC

\ J

C bo la wo

i

Bomoiio TO

"5u«tto GUINE E

EQU.

IOy»m

I

c o

(Fwl-RoutiilG 0 /

BRAZZAVILLE.

Tram African Highooy Rsut* Trentafrlcoin*

F*«d«i Road I Bltuman) Routt dt dtwcrlt t BitunU*)

Fotdat Rood I Improvtd 1 Rout* do d«t*Mtt I Am«tioi<« I

« Kan. o

F ' 1 fMtftr Road I Unlmproitd ) Rout! do d*»*r1« I Man om

f Hint f Qnm FMdor Rood*

Autrat rour«« 4« d

0 30 KW ISO 200 230 Kn

CART-M- 73-29

O7 3-4O5