Yaounde-Douala Express Way : Multiple, Explicable Delays

In order to make transportation between the political and economic capitals of Cameroon easier and faster, government decided to create the Yaounde-Douala double carriage road (expressway). This would reduce the burden on the already existing national road No 3 which links the two major cities. The expressway, according to information published on the website of the Prime Minister’s Office is196km long and would be constructed in two stretches (phases) divided into two stretches. Construction works on the first phase was awarded to Chinese enterprise known as China First Highway Engineering Company Ltd (CFHEC), with financing from the EXIMBANK of China. An initial timeframe of 48 months was instituted for the first phase of construction works which started in October 2014. Unfortunately, the deadline was never respected due to several reasons, although it has already been completed and works ongoing in the second phase (Bibodi-Douala).
Responding to questions from Senators in June 2020 as per reasons for the delay in the completion of works, Public Works Minister and President of the Steering Committee, Emmanuel Nganou Djoumessi said release of rights-of-way by the populations, sometimes several months after the initial contractual deadline was a contributing factor. The Minister mentioned distressing episodes of work being blocked by local residents on the grounds that compensation had not yet been paid. As concerns indemnities, the process started on April 1, 2014 where some 69 recipients of Ongot village in the Mefou and Akono Division received compensation amounting to FCFA 269 million. Another operation was done for concerned persons in Ekekam vi...