Northern bypass of Cotonou: from flagship project to prolonged limbo
Once announced as a symbol of President Patrice Talon’s “rupture” agenda, the northern bypass project in Cotonou now stands as a stark illustration of the challenges tied to ambitious infrastructure ventures in Benin. Amid bold political promises, shifting routes, technical delays, and financial uncertainties, not a single meter of asphalt has been laid to date. A look back at a high-profile project with a winding trajectory.
Visite de chantiers par le MIT-4
Initially conceived to address Cotonou’s chronic traffic congestion, the bypass was intended to divert heavy truck traffic away from the city center by linking key economic corridors—particularly the Port of Cotonou—with the national highway system. On paper, the plan was both strategic and visionary. Touted by the government and heavily promoted in the media, the project was expected to ease urban congestion, boost regional trade, enhance Benin’s logistics competitiveness, and reduce pressure on the city’s overburdened road network.
Included in the Government Action Plan (PAG 2016–2021), the project was initially envisioned as a nearly 40-kilometer highway with a 5.7-kilometer connector to the port, at an estimated cost of 487 billion CFA francs. Three major international groups—Bouygues/Colas, Vinci Highways, and China State Construction—were prequalified in February 2018. The project was to be financed through a public-private partnership (PPP), minimizing public spending while leveraging global expertise.
But despite an ambitious timeline, the project quickly became bogged down. From 2018 to 2022, there was no tangible progress on the ground. Technical studies were repeatedly restarted, financing remained murky, and other projects under the PAG took precedence. The original route—planned to cross the eastern lagoon toward Kpota—was scrapped due to high social costs, including displacement and expropriation. A new path, hugging the western shore of the lagoon, was selected instead.
In March 2024, the project was officially relaunched during a Council of Ministers session. The revised route extended north to Akassato (in Abomey-Calavi), redirecting the bypass west of the urban center. Minister of Living Environment José Didier Tonato stated that the goal was to better integrate economic hubs and reduce land-use tensions.
Strategic delay or political retreat?
This shift wasn’t just technical—it reflected a change in approach. Where urgency once prevailed, the Talon administration has embraced caution, even at the cost of delays. Several factors explain the slowdown:
- The original route required expensive and contentious compensations due to land issues.
- Budget constraints, especially post-Covid and amid global inflation, prompted a financial rethinking.
- A lack of firm commitments from original or potential investors—such as Qatar, cited in 2024 as a possible backer—made early implementation risky.
Some observers also point to overly centralized project management, with progress dependent on presidential approval, limiting the autonomy of technical ministries.