Senegal and Mauritania have set a new contractual deadline of December 25, 2026, for the completion of the Rosso bridge, a strategic infrastructure project linking the two countries, officials said on Monday.
The announcement comes after the project missed its original mid-2024 delivery date. Construction began in December 2021, with an expected duration of 30 months. Senegal’s Minister of Infrastructure, Déthié Fall, and Mauritania’s Minister of Transport, Ali Sayed Ahmed Al-Fayrak, warned the contractor over the weekend that further delays would not be tolerated, reflecting the urgency attached to a project crucial for regional trade and integration.
Déthié Fall attributed the delays to “shared responsibilities,” citing failures to meet certain commitments on the government side and organizational shortcomings by the contractor. Local media reports suggest coordination issues and logistical challenges have also contributed to the postponements.
A strategic project backed by multilateral partners
The Rosso bridge, valued at €87.62 million in 2019, is funded by multiple development partners. The African Development Bank (AfDB) covers approximately 46.5 percent of the total cost, with additional support from the European Investment Bank, the European Union, and the governments of Senegal and Mauritania.
Once completed, the bridge will span 1,461 linear meters across the Senegal River at Rosso, replacing a limited-capacity ferry service that currently links the two riverbanks. The AfDB has described the absence of a permanent crossing as a major impediment to economic development and regional integration, noting that the bridge is key to boosting trade and connectivity along the Dakar–Nouakchott corridor.
Delays exacerbate logistical constraints
Until the bridge is completed, freight and passenger traffic rely on a ferry system operating during restricted hours. Operators and travelers face long queues, unpredictable delays, and higher logistics costs, which affect competitiveness and the efficiency of cross-border trade. Each postponement of the project prolongs these constraints, analysts said, undermining the corridor’s potential as a regional trade artery.
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Observers note that the Rosso bridge delays highlight recurring challenges in West Africa’s infrastructure sector. Common obstacles include coordination gaps between governments and contractors, adherence to contractual obligations, logistics management, and schedule control. Similar issues have affected other major projects across the region, raising concerns about project planning, monitoring, and execution capacity.
Officials said the December 2026 deadline is binding and that governments will enforce contractual terms to ensure timely completion. The bridge is expected to enhance economic integration, facilitate the movement of goods and people, and strengthen socio-economic ties between Senegal and Mauritania once operational.
The Rosso bridge is part of broader efforts to improve transport infrastructure across West Africa, a region where cross-border connectivity remains constrained by aging roads, limited river crossings, and underdeveloped logistics networks. By providing a permanent link across the Senegal River, the project is expected to reduce travel time, lower transportation costs, and support regional trade, tourism, and investment.
As West African nations increasingly seek to improve trade flows and infrastructure resilience, the successful completion of the Rosso bridge is seen as a critical milestone. Officials emphasized that the project’s timely delivery would signal the governments’ commitment to regional integration and their ability to execute large-scale infrastructure projects in partnership with international donors.
