Fatick, March 26 (APS) – Senegalese President Macky Sall announced on Saturday his decision to name the Great Foundiougne Toll Bridge following Nelson Mandela, former South African President and hero in the fight once morest apartheid.
”I have decided to give the name of the Foundiougne toll bridge to Nelson Mandela, an illustrious son of Africa Nelson Mandela, not only as President of the African Union, but also in the name of the friendship of peoples”, he announced during a speech at the inauguration of the infrastructure.
The construction of the Foundiougne toll bridge launched in February 2018 was financed to the tune of 45 billion CFA francs (regarding 77 million USD) by the State of Senegal and Eximbank of China, reads in a document of AGEROUTE-center forwarded to APS.
The bridge will make it possible to shorten the journey to Gambia and Casamance but also to play an important role in opening up and developing the potential of the department of Foundiougne, underlined the Ministry of Land Infrastructure and Opening up.
Nearly 2,000 direct and indirect jobs were generated during the construction phase of the Grand Toll Bridge at Foundiougne, the Office of Government Information (BIG) said in a project presentation note.
This strategic work crossing the Saloum River represents “the culmination of the Government’s desire to provide all of Senegal with modern infrastructure to open up the city of Foundiougne and the country”, underlined the Government Information Office.
“This bridge, notes the BIG, is a powerful lever for exploiting the strong agricultural, economic, cultural and tourist potential of Foundiougne and all the islands of Saloum, Toubacouta, Passy, Sokone, Bassoul, to name a few. than those’.
It will also promote ”the opening up of the natural regions of Casamance and Sine-Saloum, and the strengthening of the Dakar-Banjul axis. The development of fishing activities, tourism but also access to health and education,” he adds.
AB / AKS
