Yaounde-Douala Motorway - Resistance Test Conducted

The Minister of Public Works was on the field on December 21, 2016, to encourage stakeholders to speed up work during this dry season.

Laboratory tests on the resilience and quality of the road base products for the first phase of the Yaounde-Douala Motorway have been conducted, with the Minister of Public Works, Emmanuel Nganou Djoumessi, insisting that contractual terms must be respected. A near 500 square metre portion of the road is undergoing road base testing, with contractors of the China First Highway Engineering Company and the Control Mission assuring Minister Nganou that the quality of work was good and sustainable as wished by government. Work on the small tested portion consists of compacting material mechanically to confer a high degree of density so as to increase the shear strength, reduce permeability and water absorption; experts explained. The road base testing is expected to be endorsed by government for the effective tarring of 40 of the 80 km first phase of the motorway that has already undergone deforestation.

The Minister of Public Works, Emmanuel Nganou Djoumessi, in the company of the Secretary of State in the Ministry of Public Works, Louis Max Ayina Ohandja, on a working visit to the project site on December 21, 2016, said it was imperative for the contractor to mobilise equipment and human resources to speed up work during this dry season. It is inadmissible to have equipment dotted all over the work site, with no efficient work coordination in place, he said. Out of the over 300 trucks required on the field, only about 60 are on the ground, same for other equipment needed for the smooth execution of the project. The Minister instructed the contractor to work on 18 square km daily during the dry season to meet obligations.

Government officials said material mobilisation did not correspond to required field work. They cautioned the contractor on the need to operate in workshops (from 0-20 km, 21-40 km, 41-60 km and 61-80 km) to improve productivity. The first phase of the Yaounde-Douala Motorway project should be ready by 2018 as agreed, he stated. The Minister cautioned that; “The physiognomy of the project must change by March 2017”. He urged stakeholders to adopt a positive attitude.