The bypass road for Yaoundé’s northern exit may not move beyond 13% completion in 2026, according to concerns raised by officials at the Ministry of Public Works in its annual work plan for the year.
The document, seen by Business in Cameroon, points to administrative obstacles affecting the development of the northern bypass, especially on the Nkometou–Carrefour Ekabita Mendoum–Carrefour Ezezan–Carrefour Katanga (Nyom 2)–Carrefour Yegassi–Carrefour Febe Village section, as well as the road linking the loop to Obac.
The ministry said work has been halted due to the failure to clear the right-of-way.
Because the road crosses two administrative divisions, the prefect of the Lekié division has submitted a partial report covering 16 km already assessed and is requesting additional fees to continue the evaluation, the document said.
On the other side, the prefect of Mfoundi “has still not transmitted his report despite multiple reminders from the contracting authority,” even though “subcontractors in charge of relocating networks are already on the ground.”
As a direct consequence, the Ministry of Public Works said it cannot schedule a construction timeline for the year.
By contrast, the ministry expects progress on other sections of the road project. These include Lot 1, which covers the widening of the Olembe–Obala interchange road and the reinforcement of the Obala–Batchenga road.
The annual work plan also puts the project cost at more than CFA26 billion. The works were awarded to Egyptian contractor Arab Contractors, and the project was officially launched in 2024.
Ludovic Amara
