Louis Berger (www.LouisBerger.com) was awarded a 1.5 million-euro (1.7 million USD) project management and construction supervision services contract by the Cameroonian and Nigerian governments for construction of a two‑lane bridge over the Cross River at Ekok/Mfum, which is the border between the two countries.

“We are proud to support both governments to improve their transport infrastructure and the connectivity between the two countries,” said Jacques Blanc, Louis Berger’s senior vice president. “The new bridge will contribute to more effective and time-saving transportation while providing safer and more comfortable journeys to road users on each side of the border.”

The two-lane box girder balanced cantilever bridge will be approximately 403 meters (1,322 feet) long with a 150-meter span over the Cross River and approximately 1.4 kilometers (.9 miles) of approach roads. The new structure will replace the single lane suspension bridge currently connecting the two countries because its lack of traffic capacity generates long queues on both sides of the border.

The team will support the Project Implementation Unit, the Road Sector Development Team within the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing in Nigeria. It will also work with the African Development Bank Group project unit within the Ministry of Public Works in Cameroon. The project has a duration of 18 months with a 12-month defects liability period. Services include project management, construction supervision and training on bridge construction management.

The current project is part of the Program for Transport Facilitation for the Bamenda-Enugu road corridor, a program funded through an African Development Fund joint loan to Cameroon and Nigeria and a grant to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

Louis Berger has been working in Africa for more than 50 years. The firm has 25 years of experience in Cameroon and more than 30 years in Nigeria, where the company has implemented projects in the economic and institutional development, transport and water markets.