National Road 1 (Democratic Republic of the Congo)
National Road No. 1 is a major highway in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It runs from the western port of Banana though the cities of Kinshasa, Kananga, Mbuji-Mayi, Lubumbashi, and ends at Kasumbalesa in the southeast of the country where it connects with the T3 road in Zambia.[1] The road contains the Matadi Bridge, the largest bridge in the country, which spans the Congo River.
| National Road 1 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Route information | |
| Length | 3,130 km (1,940 mi) |
| Major junctions | |
| West end | Moanda on the Atlantic Ocean. |
| East end |  T3 |
| Location | |
| Country | Democratic Republic of the Congo |
| Provinces | Kongo Central, Kinshasa, Kwango, Kwilu, Kasaï, Kasaï-Central, Kasaï-Oriental, Lomami, Haut-Lomami, Lualaba, Haut-Katanga |
| Major cities | Kinshasa, Kananga, Mbuji-Mayi, Lubumbashi |
| Highway system | |
Rebuilding
In 2008, following the Sicomines minerals for infrastructure deal, the DRC awarded a no bid contract to China Railway rebuild several sections of the N1 and collect tolls. According to banking data made public by the Congo Hold-Up leaks, some of the toll revenue was redirected to the relatives and entourage of then president Joseph Kabila.[2]
In 2019, the African Development Bank provided a XUA 50,570,000 loan to rehabilitate the section between Kinshasa and Batshamba, which was completed in 2021.[3][1] In 2022, the ADB approved another $250 million for the section between Mbuji-Mayi and Kananga.[4]
References
- Group, African Development Bank (2019-07-23). "Democratic Republic of Congo - National road no.1 rehabilitation project: KINSHASA/NDJILI – BATSHAMBA section - June 2019". African Development Bank. Retrieved 2023-03-07.
- "China built Congo a toll road that led straight to the ruling family". Bloomberg News via mining.com. 2022-02-03. Retrieved 2023-03-07.
- Ecofin, Agence. "RD Congo: 78 millions $ de la BAD pour la réhabilitation d'un tronçon de la route nationale n°1". Agence Ecofin (in French). Retrieved 2023-03-07.
- "USD 250 million from the African Development Bank for the works of the Mbuji-Mayi-Kananga road". acpcongo. 2022-08-19. Retrieved 2023-03-07.