Infrastructural development is a priority for many countries in Africa. Some nations have been heavily investing in the construction of roads, which is the major mode of transportation. Highways and interchanges, for instance, have come in handy in enhancing connectivity.
1. Kampala-Entebbe Express Highway
This is the most expensive highway in human history. The expressway construction costs are estimated to be US$476 million with each kilometer taking up over US$9.2 million. The 51 km road is a four-lane toll highway in the Central Region of Uganda that links Entebbe International Airport, the country’s largest civilian and military airport, to Kampala, the country’s capital and largest metropolitan area. The highway has over 19 flyovers and bridges with a total length of over 2770 meters.
2. Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge
The Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge is the first cable-stayed bridge in West Africa – a landmark of the financial metropolis of Lagos. Julius Berger International was responsible for the architectural design, researching the optimal location and for the complete design and execution planning. The 2×2-lane main bridge is 635 meters long and has an impressive 90-meter-high pylon in the middle, which supports the adjacent bridge spans via inclined steel cables. The spans between the bridge piers measure up to 112 meters. This bridge construction was worth US$190 million.
3. Kwame Nkrumah Circle Interchange
The construction of the interchange became necessary when the Kwame Nkrumah Circle, which handles over 84,000 vehicles from the arterial roads and their intersections daily. The current roads could no longer ensure effective and efficient tackling of the traffic congestion challenges. The Interchange is a 3-tier interchange which was constructed to replace the Kwame Nkrumah Circle in the center of the city of Accra, Ghana.
The Interchange construction cost US$88 million.
4. The Mount Edgecombe Interchange Upgrade
The new four-level interchange facility provides at least two lanes on each of the major movements. The upgrade includes the implementation of directional ramps, eliminating the need for controlled signalisation, thus ensuring free flow of traffic in all directions. Two incrementally launched bridges are part of the interchange upgrade. One bridge which is 948m long – the longest incrementally launched bridge in South Africa – joins the Mount Edgecombe side of the M41 with the N2 South. The other bridge is 440m long and joins the uMhlanga side of the M41 with the N2 North. The 948m bridge has 23 piers and two abutments and was built from two ends – one portion launched on a curve and the other on a straight. The construction of the interchange cost South Africa US$66 million.
5. Third Mainland Bridge
Third Mainland Bridge is the longest of three bridges connecting Lagos Island to the mainland, the others are the Eko and Carter bridges. The bridge starts from Oworonshoki which is linked to the Apapa-Oshodi expressway and Lagos-Ibadan expressway and ends at the Adeniji Adele Interchange on Lagos Island. The construction of the bridge cost the Nigerian government a whooping US$45 million.
