Rehabilitation of North West Bridges Imminent

Inhabitants of Donga-Mantum and Momo Divisions of the North West Region as well as users of the roads leading to those localities will soon bid farewell to the nightmares they have been used to passing on the wooden and dilapidating bridges on some rivers there. Government is requesting bids from contractors to modernise the bridge over River Ntem situated on the Kakar-Sabongari road in Donga-Mantum Division on one hand and another on River Mmem on the Widikum-Oloronti-Egbechu, Momo Division.

The 15m long and 9m wide bridge on the River Ntem is attracting national bids to construct a reinforced concrete bridge and a 7m wide carriageway of about 1,000m long to link the road up to the new bridge comprising a double surface dressed shoulders. Others will include the protection of the river banks near the bridge, construction of the drainage structures and the execution of road signs and markings. While bidders have 30 days as from November 7, date of publication of the tender, to apply, the retained contractor would have 14 months to deliver. The over project is to cost FCFA 902 million.

According to the call for tender for the envisaged 70m long and 10 m wide bridge on River Mmem, bids are expected from national and international contractors or joint-ventures. Like the project on River Ntem, that on River Mmem excludes contractors related to the project manager, contractors under suspension following the cancellation of a contract in keeping with article 102 of the Public Contracts Code as well as public corporations not legally and financially autonomous and which are not also managed with the rules of the country's commercial law. Bids to be submitted not more than 45 days as from November 7, date of publication of the tender, would comprise administrative documents, technical proposal and financial offer.

The scope of the work stipulates that the retained contracting firm will among others carry out cutting works for the foundations; protect excavations and drainage as well as its construction. The maximum executed deadline is 20 months and the entire project will cost FCFA 4.5 billion. Sources in the Ministry of Public Contracts say upon execution, the two bridges are expected to ease the movement of goods and persons into and out of these Divisions and thus the livelihood of the population who are mostly agriculture-based and need solid infrastructure to convey their produce from the farms to the markets.