EBOMAF-BENIN : Come-Lokossa-Dogbo starts its last turn

The Comé-Lokossa-Dogbo (Colodo) road paving and development project has entered a new phase. Earthworks are now complete. The focus is now on applying the asphalt and constructing drainage structures.

The 71 km Comé-Lokossa-Dogbo (Colodo) road is being paved at a rapid pace. The work carried out on Wednesday, May 24, 2017, illustrates this new momentum. Concentrated in part in the riverside town of Sê, the work mobilized the paving crews, whose dedication allows them to lay approximately one kilometer of asphalt per day. The entire section is experiencing a surge in activity, signaling the end of the road for this project very soon.

Under the coordination of Oumar Bonkoungou, the Colodo construction site had reached 75% completion as of May 24, 2017, with 80% of the allotted time already used. Delayed for several months due to a number of difficulties beyond the company's control, such as access to loans, the work is now in full swing. It is on an irreversible trajectory, promising an imminent completion. This represents a real surge forward, signifying the final stretch. Approximately 1,200 people and 200 pieces of equipment of all types are working together on the construction of this road infrastructure.

Here, they are preparing the cement base; there, surveyors are busy marking out the two lanes of the roadway. Prefabricated drainage channels are frequently transported and unloaded using cranes. With the earthworks nearly complete, the final layer is ready to receive cementitious soil, be impregnated, and then coated with black. Work is now focused on the finishing touches, namely the application of bitumen to the road surface. This includes asphalt gravel (GB) and bituminous concrete (BB) from kilometer marker 00 to kilometer marker 42, between Comé and Lokossa, and bituminous concrete (BB) only on the Lokossa-Dogbo section and on the Dobgo-Attiémé-Togo border spur. The fully paved section currently extends for 43 km.

The engineering structures (bridges) are 100% complete, and the drainage structures (gutters) are 75% complete. The relocation of the utility network is expected by May 29th to allow for the smooth progress of work on this section. The only major obstacle at present is located in the city of Lokossa. Although the site has been cleared and the earthworks completed, the company cannot work on two kilometers of the road due to the water network of the National Water Company of Benin (SONEB).

J.E.