Gabon’s Ministry of Public Works has invited bids to carry out asphalting work on a 49km road section linking Ndende in the south to Doussala on the border with the Republic of Congo.

The road is an important link in the Libreville-Pointe Noire-Brazzaville corridor, which connects the Republic of Congo and Gabon's capital city via the south. It is also part of the Trans-Gabonese corridor development project that will link Libreville to Mayumba on Gabon's Atlantic Ocean coast.

The work includes asphalting the road and the border bridge over the Ngongo River with its 2km connection road; rehabilitating 15km of rural track; and constructing two bus stations in Ndende and Owendo, a weighing station in Doussala and a parking and rest area.

The bid deadline is 6 July and the contract duration is 24 months. The invitation to bid can be viewed here.

The Ndende-Doussala road is part of the first phase of the Gabon Infrastructure Sector Support Project (PASIG), which is backed by the African Development Bank (AfDB). PASIG I’s overall objective is to open up Gabon’s Ngounie province and reduce transportation times and costs along the Libreville-Brazzaville corridor.

The AfDB expects PASIG I to be completed by December 2026.

Ndende-Doussala road map Source: AfDB, 2019

In December 2019, the AfDB signed a US$148 million loan for the full funding of the PASIG project. The projects planned under PASIG II include:

• Construction of 50km of urban roads in Libreville and the development of three tunnels at three intersections in the city;
• Rehabilitation of the Bifoun-N'djole road section, including 5km of roads;
• Rehabilitation of the Akieni-Kele-Franceville road, including 5km of access roads;
• Building the Okondja-Kele road sections on the Okondja-Makokou axis, including 5km of access roads for each of the two sections;
• Building 20km of urban roads in Franceville and Port Gentil.