• Chad opens $77.2M bridge over Chari River in N'Djamena
  
  
• Project faced 76-month delay due to technical and financial issues
  
  
• Bridge aims to boost trade, ease traffic, and support urban growth

A new bridge over the Chari River in N'Djamena was inaugurated and opened to traffic on Monday, Dec. 1, 2025. Located in the Chagoua district, the two-lane, 320-meter bridge connects to a 2.5-kilometer access road. The project cost 43.6 billion CFA francs, or about 77.2 million dollars, and was fully funded by the state.

Construction began on Sept. 2, 2019, and took far longer than planned. Technical, financial and economic constraints pushed the original 18-month schedule to 76 months, with final delivery completed on Nov. 30, 2025.

Officials say the bridge will ease movement between the river’s two banks and help stimulate trade and local economic activity. The project is part of a broader effort to upgrade the capital’s road network, which authorities say has not kept pace with rapid urban growth and remains insufficient for the city’s needs.

In February, the government and its development partners presented the “N'Djamena Declaration 1,” a roadmap aimed at strengthening infrastructure, especially roads, and positioning Chad as a future regional hub for logistics and economic activity.

Despite recent progress, challenges persist. The National Report on the Implementation of the Government’s Action Program (2023) cites the continued deterioration of certain roads and maintenance efforts that remain inadequate. Chad’s landlocked geography also makes access to seaports difficult, keeping transport costs structurally high.

Henoc Dossa