30 March 2023

New contract for the design and build of two flyovers, four pedestrian bridges, and a new steel bridge in the Republic of Gabon

Summary

  • The Ministry of Public Works and Infrastructure of the Gabonese Republic and the Consortium BESIX/MATIERE/MBB have signed a provisional agreement for the design and build of two flyovers and four pedestrian bridges in Libreville and a new Ebel-Abanga steel bridge

  • BESIX is the representative of the Consortium and is also providing its support to the government of the Gabonese Republic for setting up a financing solution for this project.

  • MBB, the Belgian subsidiary of MATIERE, will provide all of the steel structures (Unibridge®) of these bridges.

Design & Build

The Design & Build contract was signed on 28 February 2023 between the Ministry of Public Works and Infrastructure and the Consortium composed of BESIX, MATIERE, and MBB. Once the financing will be finalised, the Consortium will be able to start works, which are set to last for 36 months.

The project consists of the design and build of two 200-metre-long flyovers in the capital Libreville which will drastically improve traffic flow. It also comprises the construction of a 200-metre-long steel bridge crossing the Abanga river in Ebel, a city located on the major Transgabonese road. This new bridge will replace the existing one and will alleviate congestion in areas which need good access to the capital for health, education, and economic reasons. Moreover, the project includes four pedestrian bridges in Libreville which will secure pedestrians as they go to schools or markets. BESIX will be in charge of all civil works and MATIERE, through its Belgian subsidiary MBB, will be in charge of the supply of all the steel structures (Unibridge®).

Paul Callebaut, Country Manager BESIX Gabon: “We are proud to carry out this project which will have a fundamental impact on traffic flow and the safety of pedestrians in the regions concerned and be favourable to the region’s and country’s economy. For this major infrastructure project, the Republic of Gabon can count on the great design capabilities of BESIX and our partner MATIERE, notably in finding a competitive alternative design solution to the cable-stayed bridge solution. Our teams are now looking forward to bringing this new project to life in Gabon with our partner MATIERE/MBB and delivering it to the Gabon authorities."

Official signing of the contract - From left to right: Sylvain Brabant, Area Manager MATIERE - Quentin Olivier, Business Development Manager BESIX Group - Philippe Dessoy, General Manager Business Development BESIX Group - Toussaint Kouma Emane, Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure of the Republic of Gabon

BESIX and MATIERE have already partnered in the past for the construction of the ‘Pont de l’Enfance’ bridge and the Mungo bridge in Cameroon.

About BESIX

BESIX is a leading multidisciplinary Belgian group, based in Brussels and operating in 25 countries and on 5 continents, in the construction, real estate development and concessions sectors. Active since 1909, its iconic achievements include Dubai's Burj Khalifa, the tallest tower in the world, Sluishuis, an energy-neutral architectural landmark in Amsterdam, as well as the Grand Egyptian Museum, on the Giza pyramids plateau. The Group's engineering department enables BESIX to carry out complex and unique projects, particularly in terms of technical and environmental aspects. BESIX has extensive experience in building bridges in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, including the Infinity Bridge in Dubai and the Crown Princess Mary bridge in Denmark. Currently BESIX is working on large bridge building projects in Belgium, Italy, Latvia, and Australia. In 2021, the Group achieved revenues of EUR 2.9 billion. BESIX employs about 11,000 people.

About MATIERE/MBB

Created in 1932 by Mr. MATIERE, the company is managed today by his grandson Philippe MATIERE. Since the early 2000s, the company has specialised in the industrialisation of the bridge construction process. In addition to its precast concrete culvert structures and its panel structure bridges, since 2004, MATIERE has developed a patented technology, called UNIBRIDGE®, which is unique in the world and has many advantages going from the design stage, through fabrication and transport up to the construction stage of bridges. Thanks to its five factories in France and its factory in Belgium (MBB, Metallic Bridges of Belgium), MATIERE produces up to 50,000 tonnes of pieces of steel per year and is also able to provide financing through Credit Export to its Clients. Present in 25 countries, where it has built 15,000 exemplary structures, MATIERE earns 75% of its revenue internationally.