Many motorists who hitherto avoided the stretch have now returned.

The once dreaded, rugged and rutted Roi Njoya Street in New Bell, Douala, has finally received a befitting facelift. The road, which is now a reference infrastructure in the port city, stretches from the Shell New Bell junction to near Nkololoun Market. It has since become a choice street to most automobiles plying the New Bell and Nokololoun neighbourhoods.

To most inhabitants in the area, it is a welcome relief. Yemata K. remembers a difficult past, especially when she and other inhabitants of New Bell trekked through muddy patches and wet potholes, which quickly filled up at literally every drop of rain. The completion of the road since last April has ended over a decade of suffering for motorists and pedestrians who bore the brunt of going round long distances in order to avoid using the road.

Rehabilitation took over 12 months to complete, with engineers of SETEC Ingénierie, executing the Douala City Council-sponsored project. The initial 24-month duration was extended as a result of interruption by heavy rains. It filtered from a recent meeting between senators and authorities of the Douala II municipality that the rehabilitation of the stretch suffered many failed schedules.