| Work Detail |
The bustling streets of Abidjan tell a story of transformation. What was once a frustrating journey lasting three hours between Yopougon and Plateau districts has been reduced to 10 minutes, thanks to the Abidjan Urban Transport Project (PTUA), the largest transformative road infrastructure initiative in Côte dIvoire. During a comprehensive press visit on 25 May, ahead of the African Development Bank Groups Annual Meetings, 28 international journalists from across the continent witnessed first-hand how strategic infrastructure investment can go beyond mobility to reshape entire communities. The €567.7 million project, co-financed by the African Development Bank (74% of financing) and the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA), beyond construction, embodies a vision of inclusive development that leaves no one behind. The press delegation experienced the projects transformative power directly during the comprehensive site tour. Starting from the Fourth Bridge project at Adjamé Town Hall, the group traversed key infrastructure, including the toll station, BRT corridor, and multiple interchanges. The journey to Ayewahi City and Ebimpé City, relocation sites for displaced populations—revealed how the project addresses social responsibility alongside engineering excellence. The projects flagship achievement, the 1,400-meter Fourth Bridge connecting the communes of Plateau and Adjamé to Yopougon, has fundamentally altered daily life for millions of Abidjan residents. Reducing the critical time from three hours to 10 minutes enhances productivity, improves quality of life, and strengthens economic opportunities across the city. The broader infrastructure package includes 88 kilometres of express highways and 89 renovated intersections, creating a comprehensive network that prioritizes both efficiency and safety. Advanced traffic management systems, including 15 radar installations and plans for an integrated command centre, ensure that these improvements translate to long-term mobility solutions. Beyond immediate transport benefits, the PTUA demonstrates how infrastructure can serve environmental goals. From 2024 onwards, the project is expected to avoid 904,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually, a significant contribution to climate action in West Africas largest urban centre. Perhaps most compelling is the projects commitment to inclusive growth. The PA-PSGOUV component, approved in December 2019 with €112.09 million in Bank financing, ensures that infrastructure development translates to human development through comprehensive youth empowerment initiatives that have placed 7,320 young people in pre-employment internships while training 3,124 in entrepreneurship skills. Healthcare expansion efforts include 36 primary health centres under construction, while agricultural support reaches over 5,600 cassava farmers, 1,375 market gardeners, and 422 women poultry farmers. The visit to Ayewahi City in Songon revealed the projects approach to population displacement. The 424 housing units constructed across multiple locations demonstrate how infrastructure projects can enhance rather than disrupt social cohesion. These are planned communities with improved amenities and connectivity, where displaced families benefit from broader economic opportunities created by enhanced connectivity. The PTUA offers valuable lessons for infrastructure development across Africa. The project demonstrates that an integrated approach, combining physical infrastructure with social programs, maximizes development impact. Environmental integration proves climate considerations can enhance rather than constrain infrastructure projects, while the partnership power of multilateral financing enables projects of transformative scale. The visible transformation throughout Abidjan proves that when infrastructure development prioritizes both efficiency and inclusion, the results can reshape cities and everyone within them. The Abidjan Urban Transport Project, co-financed by the African Development Bank and JICA, continues to demonstrate how strategic infrastructure investment can create lasting economic and social transformation across West Africa. |
