Information from the Ministry of Public Works indicates that conception dues for the construction of the second bridge on River Wouri have been calculated and sent to the Autonomous Sinking Fund of Cameroon for payment even as field work advances.

The amount; FCFA 2,412,336,493, represents the whole conception fee for the project whose foundation stone was laid in Douala on November 14, 2013 by President Paul Biya. Our source also notes that for the project’s execution proper, some FCFA 6,564,035,611 has been disbursed to the contracting firm, Sogea Satom, representing 6.7 per cent of the execution funds.  

It is worthy of note that the 36-month project (from November 14, 2013) evaluated to cost over FCFA 100 billion is jointly financed by the government of France, through the French Development Agency (AFD), the debt-relief programme, C2D, and the government of Cameroon with funds accruing from its public investment budget.   

The edifice upon construction is expected to curb incessant traffic on the over 60-year-old bridge especially as it will be a  five-lane roadway, two from Douala towards Bonaberi and three from Bonaberi towards Douala and a two-lane railway deck. Experts say it has been conceived to last some 100 years.