Top 5 most expensive highways and interchanges in Africa 2022
Infrastructural development is a priority for many countries in Africa. Some nations have been heavily investing in the construction of roads, which is the major mode of transportation. Highways and interchanges, for instance, have come in handy in enhancing connectivity. Well, which countries have expensive highways and interchanges in Africa?
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Traffic jams have been a major challenge for many countries in Africa for many years. Some countries, therefore, have resorted to constructing highways and interchanges to help ease the problem. Nowadays, road transportation has become stress-free.
Expensive highways and interchanges in Africa in 2022
Some of the countries have better highways and interchanges as compared to others. In other words, their qualities are not the same based on the technology used to build them. Here is the list of most expensive highways and interchanges in Africa as of 2022.
5. 6th October Bridge (Egypt) – $13 million
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The 6th October Bridge is one of the best-elevated highways found in Egypt's capital city, Cairo. Its construction started in 1969 and ended in 1990. Arab Contractors constructed the bridge at an estimated cost of $13 million.
This is an iconic bridge because it is named after an important historical event – it took place during the Ramadan war between Israel and Egypt. Egypt won the war on 6th October 1973 hence the name of the bridge.
The 20.5 km bridge spans River Nile twice. It now links the western part of Cairo to the international airport. Averagely, 500,000 pedestrians use the bridge per day. Also, the traffic on the bridge is not hectic as it used to be before.
4. Third Main Bridge (Nigeria) - $45 million
Source: Twitter
Nigeria's Third Main Bridge is located in the country's capital city, Lagos. Unlike the Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge, it serves many people hence the very high daily traffic. The 11.8 km bridge was officially opened in 1990, making it the largest bridge in Africa until 1996.
It was constructed during the reign of the retired President General Ibrahim Babangida. The contractors built it in two phases. The first phase connects Lagos Island to Ebute Metta. On the other hand, the second phase links Lagos to Oworonshoki.
The overall width of the bridge is 33.1m. So far, it has boosted the economy of the city since most people are currently living in Lagos. Secondly, it has significantly eased traffic jam on the route.
3. The Mount Edgecombe Interchange Upgrade (South Africa) - $66 million
Source: Twitter
South Africa's Mount Edgecombe Interchange Upgrade is the largest interchange in the southern hemisphere. The project took close to a decade before its completion – it was launched in 2009 and ended in 2019.
It is not the longest road in South Africa, but it boasts of a length of 947 metres; it makes it the longest bridges, so far, in the southern hemisphere. The longest road in the county is N2.
Currently, Mount Edgecombe Interchange Upgrade consists of nine bridge structures. Since its construction, it has significantly cut down traffic jam. The upgrade was done by Snowy Mountains Engineering Corporation (SMEC), South Africa.
2. Kwame Nkurumah Circle Interchange (Ghana) - $88 million
Source: Twitter
The project was an improvement of the Kwame Nkrumah Circle. The interchange was, primarily, constructed to ease road congestion in the city. It was designed by Construtora Queiroz Galvao, which is among the leading Brazilian construction and engineering firms.
The Brazilian and Ghanaian governments jointly funded the project. The interchange is estimated to carry over 84,000 vehicles per day. Since its construction, it has considerably reduced traffic jams, vehicle operating costs, and travel time.
1. The Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge (Nigeria) – $190 million
Source: Twitter
The Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge is a cable-stayed bridge located in Lagos. It connects Lekki and Ikoyi districts. This project was developed and executed by Julius Berger International in 2013.
The bridge has a road space of 31,900 m2. The road has an incredible length of 1,360 metres and a 60-metre maximum pile length. It is the first-ever cable-stayed bridge design road to have been constructed in West Africa.
It was commissioned by the then Lagos Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola. It cost his administration a whopping $190 million to construct it. The state has been collecting toll fare from motorists at the toll gates.
Which African country has the best infrastructure? Judging on the highways and interchanges, Nigeria and South Africa are among the countries with the best infrastructure in the continent. Besides, many expensive highways and interchanges in Africa are located in the countries.
Now you know the most expensive highways and interchanges in Africa. Overall, the best can be located in countries such as Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, and Egypt. The structures have come a long way in reducing road congestions and travel times.
READ ASO: Top 7 supercars made in Africa
Briefly.co.za published a post on the best supercars made in Africa. Some countries in Africa are building classy cars hence cutting down importation costs. African companies leading in the sector include Laraki from Morocco, Birkin from South Africa, and Innoson from Nigeria, among many others.
Most of these supercars are affordable and easy to maintain as compared to the imported second-hand ones. The models of the ones available in the market right now are Birkin S3 Roadster, Innoson G80, Mobius SUV, Kantanka Onantefro SUV 4X4, Wallys Iris, Kiira EV Smack, and Laraki Epitome.
Source: Briefly News
