The Senegambia bridge connecting Gambia and Senegal by road is now open to traffic. The opening of the 1.9km bridge means that vehicles will no longer have to rely on the unreliable ferry service over the River Gambia. The structure has been designed to last 100 years and to give sufficient clearance for vessels passing underneath. . The previous route by road without using the ferry service would have involved a round trip of some 400km.
Funding for the bridge was provided by the African Development Bank (ADB) and construction work started on the structure in 2015. However the discussions between Gambia and Senegal over the link first started in the 1970s. The new concrete bridge is located some 10km from the border between the two countries at Farafenni. Its opening will improve trade and transport between the two countries and their respective capitals, Banjul and Dakar.
