Kinshasa, April 12, 2021 (ACP).- The construction work of the flyover from Bitabe to Masina, in the city of Kinshasa, initiated by the President of the Republic, Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo, is 96% completed , indicated Saturday Magloire Kisonga, site manager of the works of this civil engineering work, during a round carried out by the CPA. The work of this structure is completely carried out, except for some adjustment of the reloading on the ramp of 86 (eighty-six) meters, before intervening those of asphalting and the separation of two lanes of two strips each, indicated the Kisonga site manager who indicated that this flyover has a cumulative length of 299 (two hundred and ninety-nine) meters including 60 (sixty) meters for the bridge, 86 (four- twenty-six) meters for the ramp located on the side of the N’Djili river and 153 (one hundred and fifty-three) meters on the side of the N’Djili international airport. The structure is 14 (fourteen) meters wide and built to solve the thorny problem of traffic jams during rush hour on this route, the only one that leads to N’Djili international airport and in the former province. from Bandundu. However, it must be recognized that the works of this grade separation experienced a delay in execution because it is a first in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to have considered the construction of structures of this caliber through the city of Kinshasa. As a reminder, the construction of the Bitabe flyover is included in the batch of those that have already been completed, namely, the flyovers located at Socimat, Mandela, Pompage roundabouts, at place Pascale and at De bonhomme as well as the other in the process of being completed on avenue Sergent Moke (Radio, Congolese national television).
Users happy with the work
In addition, the users contacted by the CPA on the site declared themselves satisfied with the structure. They believe that the problem of traffic jams on this route will be solved.
“The President of the Republic, Felix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo has good initiatives. We support him for that and ask him to continue on this momentum ”, declared one of the users. The site manager, for his part, called on the government, through its specialized services, to educate users, especially bikers, to refrain from using the grade separation. The drivers of the vehicles, he asked them to enter the grade separation 50 (fifty) meters from the access and not 5 (five) meters, in order to avoid accidents.
Rehabilitation works on the access to the collapsed N’Djili bridge at the pavement stage
The rehabilitation works of the access to the N’Djili Bridge collapsed following the torrential rains of March 16th are at the asphalt paving stage. The Congolese Press Agency (CPA) made this observation on Saturday at the scene.
Mr. Patrick Mbila of the Technical Control Office (BTC) found there said that the Kinshasa provincial management is carrying out the work to protect the structure against rainwater under the supervision of its director, Gilbert Bagula. The rehabilitation works of the access to the bridge consisted, as regards the first phase, in the backfill around the bridge, in the stabilization of the structure with sand and in the riprap with the 080 before the intervening construction of slabs. Regarding the work of the second phase, the Roads Office (OR) will proceed to the backfilling of the bank where the collapse had occurred, in order to build riprap to protect the landslide and prevent residents to throw garbage into the River.
Referring to the causes of the collapse, Mr. Mbila noted the case of the dilapidated nature of the structure and the incivism of users as well as residents. The bridge, he said, has been built since colonial times and needs renewal. It is being built next to another as part of the road widening which has brought the road width to 2 (two) lanes with 4 (four) lanes each. It should be noted, moreover, that both tracks are functional, except during the hours when the OR is carrying out work.