The Five Bridges project is intended to improve economic opportunities for the people of Conakry and provide quicker access routes to hospitals and other facilities.
The steel bridges, totalling 764 metres in length, will be constructed out of 48m-long steel trusses and will have two lanes of traffic. The Kassonyah (96 metres long), Koroty and Demoudoulla (each 144 metres long) and Kissosso and Kakimbo (192 metres long) bridges will each have pedestrian walkways on both sides to ensure the safety of pedestrians.
The project is being funded by a combination of grants from Dutch agency Invest International Public Programs and a commercial load from Invest International Capital underwritten by export trade body Atradius Dutch State Business.
The total project cost is estimated at over €60 million (£51 million) and is due for completion in 2025.
“The project is a good example of combining Dutch resources to make a development project work”, said Erik Beekmans, director for export & project finance at Ballast Nedam International Projects.
“The comprehensive collaboration between the contractor and the funding entities … makes it a very good investment into the Guinean Infrastructure,” he said. “We are confident we can make this partnership work for future African projects as well.”
Ballast Nedam International Projects, steel fabricator Dijkstaal International and Invest International are working closely with the governments of the Netherlands and Guinea, said Beekmans.
“This way, we ensure that care for the environment and the quality of life are paramount. With environmental and social plans, we ensure that the impact of the construction work is as small as possible.
“This is continuously evaluated by an independent consultant. Moreover, Ballast Nedam International Projects is involving the local population in this project so that they can also contribute to this improvement in Conakry.”
Got a story? Email news@theconstructionindex.co.uk
