Departing from Oyem in northern Gabon to visit relatives in Equatorial Guinea, it used to take two to three hours of bumpy roads in the tropical rainforest. On October 8, 2026, this road underwent a complete transformation - the Waller River Bridge, constructed by China Communications Construction Corporation's China Communications First Highway Engineering Group, was completed and opened to traffic, reducing cross-border travel to half an hour.

The deep rainforest will be open to traffic in fourteen months

The Wole River Bridge started construction on August 1, 2025 and was completed in 14 months, which is 10 months ahead of the contract period. The project team is advancing operations in an environment of tight material supply and high temperature and humidity in the rainforest. In July 2026, during an inspection of the site by Gabonese President Kwame Nkuma, it was announced that the bridge would be completed significantly ahead of schedule, and he publicly praised this as China's strength and speed.

The 90 meter bridge spans across the rainforest

The bridge is a 90 meter steel-concrete composite beam bridge, which is the core control project of the Ouyem Road Improvement Project. The overall project covers the renovation of 68 kilometers of roads and the construction of bridges across the Wole River, including 36 kilometers of cross-border roads and 32 kilometers of national highways. It is located in the capital city of Ouyem in the Wole Ntem province of northern Gabon. The project adopts a design and construction general contracting model, funded by the Gabonese government with a total investment of approximately 230 million US dollars.

China's speed wins reputation in French speaking regions

The bridge connects Gabon and Equatorial Guinea, radiates to neighboring countries such as Cameroon, and is an important node in the regional transportation network of the Central African Economic and Monetary Community. It will fundamentally improve the land transportation conditions between the two countries, promote personnel exchanges and cross-border trade. The official language of Gabon is French, and there are differences between engineering standards and English speaking regions. This performance by CCCC First Highway Engineering Co., Ltd. provides a reference path for Chinese companies to enter French speaking markets such as Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, and Congo Brazzaville. Keywords: the Belt and Road news network, infrastructure, cross-border roads

For supporting enterprises such as bridge steel structures, steel-concrete composite beams, pavement materials, and drainage pipes, early completion is the most effective performance endorsement in the African infrastructure market. Tracking the follow-up bidding and procurement plans of CCCC First Highway Engineering Co., Ltd. in Gabon and Central Africa, it is expected to enter the supporting supply chain. African infrastructure projects are affected by government budgets, foreign exchange controls, and construction conditions, resulting in uncertainties in project timelines and payments. Prior to participation, local compliance due diligence and financial calculations must be completed.Editor/Gao Xue