By Binta Koroma, Freetown, Sierra Leone, December 1, 2023.

The Government of Sierra Leone has announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Freetown with the Chinese company China Road and Bridge Corporation and the architectural firm of the Atépa Group for the construction of the Freetown-Lungi Bridge.

The announcement was made in a public notice issued on Friday December 1^st 2023.

The project is part of His Excellency, President Julius Maada Bio’s Big 5 vision to improve Sierra Leone’s Technology and infrastructure; link the capital with the important Lungi airport hub, and ease the transport flow of international and local travelers.

According to the government, the Freetown-Lungi Bridge will be 8 km long, with an estimated investment cost of about $1.5 billion.

The bridge is to become a pathway for sustained economic growth and is to complement the new airport commissioned on March 3, 2023 by President Maada Bio. The ultramodern airport, which cost $270 million, replaced the old airport built in 1945.

According to the government, the feasibility study of the project will be completed in the next few months, and, barring unforeseen delays, construction will commence in the last quarter of 2024. The project is estimated to take about three years to complete from the start date.

The Chinese company China Road and Bridge Corporation is among the largest engineering and construction firms globally and operates in more than 50 countries across Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas. It is a member of the Fortune 500, ranking 61st.

The Atépa Group, including the architectural firm, has several globally renowned projects to its credit, including the Banjul Airport (Gambia), the headquarters of BCEAO in Dakar (Senegal), the ECOWAS Fund headquarters in Lomé (Togo), and the Monument of the Renaissance, also in Dakar. It has offices in several countries in Africa and Asia.