AFRICA REGIONAL : LAKE BASIN COMMISSION TWO ROADS LINKS.

THE EXISTING NARROW & UNPAVED ROAD FROM FORT FOUREAU(CAMEROON) TO FOTOKOL(CAMEROON) WILL BE REALIGNED,WIDENED & PAVED WITH ASPHALT OVER A STABILIZED SAND-ASPHALT BASE TO PROVIDE 64 MILES OF ALL-WEATHER ROAD. THIS ROAD CONSTITUTES THE ONLY SURFACE LINK BETWEEN NIGERIA & CHAD IN THE AREA & WILL IMPROVE IMPORT & EXPORT ACTIVITIES FOR THE LCB AREA WHEN COMPLETED. THE RECOMMENDED MINIMUM DESIGN SPEED OF THE ROAD WILL BE APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH. THE PAVEMENT STRUCTURE WILL BE DOUBLE BITUMINOUS SURFACE OVER SAND-ASPHALT WHICH WILL OVERLAY A SUB-BASE OF BLENDED & FILTER SAND LAYERS FOR A TOTAL THICKNESS OF 39 CM. THE EMBANKMENT WILL BE MADE UP OF COMPACTED CLAYS & SAND MIXTURES. THE EXISTING NARROW,UNPAVED & BADLY RUTTED ROAD FROM MAGADA(CAMEROON) TO KAELE(CAMEROON) TO BONGOR(CHAD) WILL FOLLOW THE EXISTING ALIGNMENT EXCEPT FOR 3.7 MILES BETWEEN YAGOUA & TSEBE WHICH WILL BE MOVED TO HIGHER GROUND JUST WEST OF THE EXISTING ROAD; ROAD LENGTH WILL BE 94 MILES. BASIC MATERIALS TO BE USED ARE SIMILAR TO FOUREAU-FOTOKOL MATERIALS BUT TOTAL ROAD THICKNESS WILL BE 34 CM. COMPLETION OF THIS ROAD IS ALSO EXPECTED TO IMPROVE IMPORT-EXPORT COMMERCE IN THE LCB REGION. NO IMPROVEMENTS WILL BE MADE TO RIVER CROSSINGS OR THE LOGONE RIVER FERRY. THE FOUREAU-FOTOKOL ROAD WILL BE MAINTAINED BY CAMEROON"S DEPT OF PUBLIC WORKS WHILE BOTH CAMEROON & CHAD WILL MAINTAIN MAGADA TO BONGOR. WHERE NECESSARY FOR ADEQUATE RUNOFF,CONCRETE CULVERTS WILL BE REPLACED WITH CORRUGATED METAL PIPE & SIDE DITCHES WILL BE DEEPENED FOR BOTH ROADS. ALSO FOR BOTH ROADS,CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS ARE AVAILABLE ALONG THE ROAD ROUTES OR FROM NIGERIA,WITH THE EXCEPTION OF GRAVEL OR CRUSHED STONE(WHICH MUST BE TRANSPORTED 60 MILES) & STEEL & METAL PIPE(WHICH MUST BE IMPORTED). PROJECT BENEFICIARIES INCLUDE ROAD-BUILDERS & LABORERS WHO WILL BE EMPLOYED,US ENGINEERING FIRMS & COMMERCIAL INTERESTS IN THE LCB REGION.