On August 22, 2026, central Senegal ushered in a historic moment. The opening ceremony of the Mbour Kaolak Expressway was held in a warm atmosphere, with Senegalese President Faye and Chinese Ambassador to Senegal Li Zhigang attending together. This 99.2-kilometer-long two-way four lane expressway has been completed ahead of schedule after four years of construction, significantly reducing the travel time from Dakar to Kaorac and adding another milestone to China Serbia infrastructure cooperation.

99.2 kilometers of high-speed road ahead of schedule

The project is located in the central eastern part of Senegal, connecting the two major cities of Mbour and Kaorac. It has a total length of 99.2 kilometers and adopts a two-way four lane design with a designed speed of 130 kilometers per hour. The project officially started construction on April 8, 2022, and after more than 1500 days and nights of hard work, overcame many difficulties and completed the entire line ahead of schedule. The completion of the expressway will significantly shorten the travel time from Dakar to Kaorac, effectively improve regional transportation efficiency, and inject strong impetus into the economic and social development of central Senegal.

President praises China Serbia cooperation

In his speech at the opening ceremony, President Faye thanked the Chinese government, relevant institutions, and enterprises for their strong support for Serbia's economic and social development, emphasizing that China is Serbia's most important partner for cooperation. He stated that after the opening of the Mbur Kaolak Expressway, it will promote economic development and improve people's livelihoods along the central region. The President personally attended the opening ceremony and highly praised the cooperation between China and Senegal, demonstrating the strategic position of the project in Senegal's national development and also reflecting Serbia's high recognition of China Senegal cooperation. Keywords: the Belt and Road news network, infrastructure, China Serbia cooperation

Deepening infrastructure cooperation between China and Serbia

The Mbur Kaolak Expressway is another important achievement of China Serbia cooperation in the field of infrastructure. Chinese Ambassador to Senegal Li Zhigang attended the opening ceremony and witnessed this important moment. The project is undertaken by a Chinese enterprise, adopting Chinese technical standards and management experience, demonstrating the efficient performance capability of Chinese enterprises in overseas infrastructure construction in advance. China is the most important partner of Senegal, and the cooperation between the two sides in infrastructure, energy, communication and other fields continues to deepen, providing important support for Senegal's economic and social development and regional connectivity. The opening of highways will further improve Senegal's transportation network and contribute to local economic development and improvement of people's livelihoods.Editor/Gao Xue