Ministers from Senegal and Mauritania came together at the weekend to issue an ultimatum on a delayed project to build a bridge between the two west African nations.
The partially completed Rosso Bridge over the Senegal River. Credit: Ministry of Transport, Mauritania
Rosso Bridge over the Senegal River passed its deadline in mid-2024. Now Senegal’s Minister of Infrastructure, Déthié Fall, and Mauritania’s Minister of Transport, Ali Sayed Ahmed Al-Fayrak have set a date of 25 December, 2026. They will monitor the progress of contractor Poly Changda with monthly video conferences and quarterly field visits.
Work started on the 1.5km bridge in 2021. It is funded by The African Development Bank (46.5%), the European Investment Bank, the European Union and the governments of Senegal and Mauritania. The only crossing available is presently a ferry which operates for limited hours, resulting in queues and delays.
