Kinshasa’s ring road could reduce traffic congestion – Congo Independent

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Completion of this project will have a very significant socio-economic impact on users. Beware of corruption! After the unfortunate experiences (100 Days Project, Tshilejelu, Kalamba-Mbuji Road, Kananga-Mbuji Mayi Road etc.), some fear that the ring road project is just a repetition of past sins...

Gaston Mutamba Lukusa

On Saturday, June 22, President Felix-Antoine Tshisekedi launched the construction of the Mitendi (Kinshasa) Ring Road (Ring Road). The Ring Road is a highway that encircles the city to ease traffic flow and avoid congested city centres. According to the Minister of Infrastructure, Public Works and Reconstruction, Alexis Guisaro, the Kinshasa Ring Road, the first phase of the project, will be 63 kilometres long and will connect the southeastern and southwestern parts. Along the route, the first southwestern ring road will start from the Mbudi district (Mont Ngafula commune) and reach Mitendi via the caravan route, where it will then join the second south-eastern ring road that starts from Mitendi and leads to National Road 1 through the Badara district, not far from Ndjili International Airport. The Ring Road will therefore pass through the communities of Mont Ngafula, Ndjili, Kimbanseke and Nsele. Construction works could last three years, with a total cost of US$300 million, financed by the Sino-Congolese project. The second phase of the project will see the construction of two more ring roads to the north, completing a complete ring around the city of Kinshasa. The success of this project will have a very significant social impact not only on the local population, who will benefit from good basic social services and easy marketing of agricultural products. Users will also gain other advantages, such as time savings, comfort and safety. Vehicle operating costs (fuel, maintenance and wear and tear) will also decrease. Overpasses, bridges and level crossings will be built on the route, for which feasibility studies have been carried out since 2014. The project will therefore have a positive socio-economic impact on the country’s development.

Benefits of the Ring Road Project

Mobility remains one of the fundamental challenges of urban management in Kinshasa. The main engineering bureau of Congo said that the ring road project will reduce transportation costs and time in the city, increase economic activity, reduce traffic congestion and improve the living conditions of residents. Kinshasa has an area of 9,965 square kilometers and a road network of only 3,621 kilometers. This network is obviously not enough to meet the transportation needs of at least 15 million more inhabitants. According to forecasts, the number of inhabitants may reach 25 million by 2030. For the main engineering bureau, the population growth of Kinshasa means land use strategy and the management of travel and urban traffic. In addition to the hilly terrain on the southern edge of the city, which is not conducive to road travel, the main reason for the difficulty of transportation in Kinshasa is the vast territory of the capital. The city is constantly transforming, and the number of vehicles and people is gradually increasing, resulting in long queues on most roads during peak hours. In addition, the road network drawn according to the old development plan is obviously not enough to meet the traffic volume on the main roads.

Beware of corruption affecting major public projects

After the unfortunate experiences (100 Days Project, Tshilejelu, Kalamba-Mbuji Road, Kananga-Mbuji Mayi Road, etc.), some fear that the Ring Road Project is just a repeat of past evils. Unless there is better control and monitoring of project execution. Corruption has always been the Achilles’ heel of political power in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Transparency International in its 2015 annual report states that corruption affecting major public projects is a serious obstacle to sustainable development. The international non-governmental organization says that when the amount of bribes takes precedence over resource optimization, it leads to poor quality construction and poor management of infrastructure. Corruption wastes money, destroys countries and causes huge loss of life. Most underdeveloped countries are burdened with a heavy external debt due to entrepreneurs who over-invoice due to corruption. The construction and public works sectors are very important to the global economy. But when corrupt practices are present, it ends up increasing costs and changing the quality of infrastructure. In our country, we often see infrastructure being inaugurated with great fanfare, but its life span is shortened by the poor quality of the materials used. This is the case, for example, with the tourist avenue that runs along the Congo River in Kinshasa, where the road project was inaugurated with great fanfare; at a staggering cost. The current cost of 300 million USD for the 63 km ring road is acceptable, since the average price per km of a 2×2 lane highway type in Europe is 8 million EUR. The biggest concern is that this cost will be inflated under the pretext of conducting additional studies. The construction deadline may also be extended for false reasons after the amendment is signed.

Gaston Mutamba Lukusa