The Ministry of Public Works has launched an inventory of road infrastructure in the country, notably bridges, with the view of rehabilitating degraded ones to ensure fluidity in road transport in the country. The first phase consists of national, regional and divisional roads.
The inventory, according to the Head of Division of Road Infrastructure in the ministry, Virginie Lekenfack Metangmo, will give an exact number and state of the infrastructure and will thus serve as a guide for decision-making. "It is only when we have the inventory that we can know which infrastructure needs urgent rehabilitation and also about areas where construction is needed," she said. "The management of roads and other infrastructure is dependent on the knowledge about them. Given that the road network in the country is increasing with time, there was need to have a good knowledge about bridges," she added.
While waiting for the results of the study, calls for tenders from the Ministry of Public Works keep multiplying on the construction of bridges where urgent needs have been identified. The latest of them concerns tenders to carry out studies with the view of constructing bridges in six different localities in the country. These include a bridge on River Nlobo along the Mokomo-Meyos road, on River Mukeyong in Akwuaya, Manyu Division, on River Lobo à Assok to ease access on the Mekin Hydroelectric dam, on River Katsina Ala in Menchum Division and another on River Mayo Thiel in the North Region. The cost of the studies to be bankrolled by the ministry from its 2012 investment budget range from FCFA 175 million to FCFA 500 million.
Meanwhile, calls for tenders have also been launched to construct bridges on the Bamenda-Enugu corridor.
