Abidjan metro project: Port-Bouët’s rue des Caraïbes closed for critical phase

Port-Bouët’s bustling rue des Caraïbes in southern Abidjan has been sealed off to traffic since July 15, marking the start of a 2.5-month closure. Authorities cite the necessity of this disruption for constructing a key railway bridge as part of Abidjan’s Line 1 metro project. Traffic is expected to resume on September 30, aligning with the tight construction schedule for the city’s first elevated metro line.

Motorists are urged to adhere to the revised traffic plan and follow safety protocols around the construction zone. The closure represents one of the final critical phases before rail installation and the deployment of Alstom’s automated trains across the 37.4-kilometer route.

Connecting seven communes in Côte d’Ivoire’s economic hub

The Line 1 metro will link Anyama, north of Abidjan, to Port-Bouët’s Félix Houphouët-Boigny International Airport in the south, passing through seven communes. According to project leaders, this automated metro is designed to accommodate over 500,000 daily passengers, completing the journey in just 50 minutes—a pace roughly eight times faster than peak-hour road travel.

The infrastructure includes 18 stations, 24 bridges, a lagoon-spanning viaduct, and 34 pedestrian walkways. Progress reports from June indicated that civil engineering for the lagoon viaduct was nearly complete, with 12 of the 24 planned bridge decks already installed. Officials anticipate the metro’s launch by late 2028.

French-led consortium drives Abidjan’s metro vision

The metro is being built by a French consortium comprising Bouygues Travaux Publics, Alstom, Colas Rail, and Keolis. Bouygues oversees civil engineering and rolling stock supply, while Keolis will manage operations for 15 years post-completion. The total investment nears €1.36 billion, primarily financed by France through the French Development Agency and sovereign loans, as confirmed by Ivorian economic authorities.

This financial arrangement positions the Abidjan metro as one of West Africa’s largest French transport investments, underscoring Paris’s strategic focus on francophone Africa amid competition from Chinese and Turkish firms.

Addressing Abidjan’s chronic congestion crisis

With Abidjan’s metropolitan area home to 5.5 million people, Port-Bouët stands out as a coastal hub housing the international airport and key industrial zones. Chronic traffic jams plague the city, crippling major arteries due to the absence of high-capacity public transit.

The new metro aims to alleviate road congestion by providing a fast, reliable alternative to buses and shared taxis. Project documents highlight its potential to generate thousands of local jobs during construction and operation, further boosting economic resilience in the region.