Inaugurated in 2016, National Route N1 is celebrating nearly a decade of service this year. This 536-kilometer project linking Brazzaville to Pointe-Noire, which French engineers once deemed impossible due to the dense forests and swamps to be crossed, has become the backbone of the Congolese economy.
Today, over 90% of goods traded between the political capital and the economic capital travel along this corridor. The journey time, which once took a week, has been reduced to six hours. Along the road, hundreds of small markets have sprung up, creating thousands of informal jobs and energizing the towns it passes through.
“This road changed my life,” says a merchant from Nkayi. “Before, it took days to get my goods to Brazzaville. Now, I can make the round trip in a single day. My business has prospered.”
Beyond its economic role, the N1 symbolizes the Congo’s determination to control its own development. Where foreign experts saw an insurmountable challenge, the country has built a modern infrastructure, managed since 2019 by the LCR company, a tripartite partnership involving the Congo, China, and France.
This achievement bears the mark of President Denis Sassou-Nguesso’s vision, who made opening up the country’s territory a national priority. Under his leadership, Congo has transformed a project once deemed impossible into a vital artery for the economy and national unity.
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