Soubré: alternating traffic on the Sassandra bridge during three weeks of works

Traffic has been alternating on the Soubré bridge since Monday, for three weeks of repairs to the expansion joints and guardrails. Temporary lights and officers control vehicle movements, with one lane open in each direction in turn.

The bridge is an essential crossing for trucks carrying cocoa from Nawa plantations to the port of San-Pédro, and the works come shortly before the main crop season opens on 1 October. Hauliers fear long queues if the works fall behind just as volumes increase.

The road agency says the noisiest and longest works will be carried out at night, and that normal traffic will be restored before the season starts. Motorbike taxis and pedestrians can keep crossing via the footpath on the upstream side.

What the creator verified on Monday: the temporary lights in place and waits of about ten minutes at peak hours. What remains to be confirmed: whether the three-week deadline announced by the road agency will be met.