(Business in Cameroon) - The pre-tax costs of the 2^nd phase (136-km) of the Yaoundé-Douala highway are officially estimated at XAF812.8 billion, according to a note recently published by the Ministry of Public Works (Mintp).

Specifically, XAF690.6 billion will be devoted to the motorway section while XAF74.3 billion will be used for slip roads. For the control services, they will cost XAF36.7 billion while compensations will cost XAF11.2 billion.

According to the Mintp, the second phase will be built following a public-private partnership model. Currently, it is at the restricted call for tenders stage following the publication, on October 5, 2020, of a list of three partners selected after a public call for expression of interest. “The design will last 15 months while construction works will last 48 months,” the Mintp adds.

Let’s note that in a release dated October 5, 2020, the Minister of Public Works Emmanuel Nganou Djoumessi announced that the French Sogea-Satom-Vinci/Razel-Fayat was ranked first (with 72.5 points out of 100) after bids were opened for the public call for expression of interest. Issued on March 4, 2020, the public call was aimed at selecting companies or consortiums that will collaborate with the Cameroonian government in the financing, design, construction, exploitation, and maintenance of phase 2 of the Yaoundé-Douala highway (Bibodi-Douala) following a public-private model.

The second highest bidder was the Portuguese group Mota Engil Engenharia Construcao Africa, with 60.9 points out of 100. The third highest bidder was the Chinese consortium Sinohydro-PCRB-SDHS, with 60 points out of 100.  The selected candidates are invited to, in the coming days, submit detailed offers for the implementation of the project.  

The said phase, which extends from Bibodi to Douala (136 km) is segmented into two lots, namely Bidodi-Edéa (70 km) and Edéa-Douala (66 km). It includes three slip roads, namely a side road to Edéa (12 km), a bypass to Edéa (10.5 km), and a side road to Dibamba Beach (7.6 km). The side road to Dibamba beach includes 6 interchanges, the bridges over the Sanaga (500 m), and the Dibamba (250 m).

The Ministry reminds that the initial pre-tax costs of phase 1 (60 km) of the said project are XAF284 billion. It is implemented by the Chinese group China First Highway Engineering. It has already been 91% completed while the deadline is 93.3% near and 90% of the funds already used. The first 40 kilometers of that phase are fully paved while the last 20 kilometers are 60% constructed and the works are expected to be delivered in 2021.

"The connections to Nationale 3 via Boumnyebel (13 km) and to Yaoundé via Minkoameyos (10 km), as well as functional equipment for the operation in public-private partnership mode of this motorway section, require the mobilization of additional resources,” the Ministry explains.  

Sylvain Andzongo