# [CAR] Central African Republic | road infrastructure



## ChrisZwolle (May 7, 2006)

A thread about the Central African Republic or CAR. The official license plate code is RCA (République Centrafricaine). 

CAR has very few paved roads. I made an assessment based on available Google Earth imagery. 

Route Nationale
Paved Road









The N1-N3 link to Cameroon is paved and is now the main export route to Douala.
The N1 Bangui - Bossembélé was paved in the late 1970s.
The N3 Bossembélé - Cameroon border was paved between 2011 and 2013.
The N2 Bangui - Damara was paved in the late 1960s. Damara - Sibut was paved later
The N6 Bangui - Mbaïki was paved around 1970

Other roads are not paved and are likely impassable during and after rain. Many roads are blocked for trucks up to six hours after rain, to allow the dirt road to dry, otherwise it is destroyed. 

Most unpaved roads lack drainage, and there is very few skilled labor and working equipment to maintain the road network. Most paved roads were constructed by foreign governments and companies. There is no sufficient maintenance programme to keep existing roads from deteriorating.

A World Bank report from 1976 notes that there was practically no indigenous personnel capable of managerial positions, and government investment in roads was less than $ 5 million per year. Fuel taxes however, generated about $ 10 million per year at that time. A major problem is a shortage of skilled labor, they had to bring foreigners in to operate machinery. I hope this condition has improved today, although conflict is a major obstacle to transportation.


----------



## ChrisZwolle (May 7, 2006)

*Ubangi River Bridge*

An attempt was made to construct a bridge across the Ubangi River (border with the DRC) at Mobaye. This was likely attempted in the late 1990s. Only the bridge piers were built, the deck was never finished. This was the only attempt to build a bridge across this river. There is a power station at the DRC side of the river.


Uncompleted bridge across Ubangui River at Mobaye by friel, on Flickr


Ubangui River at Mobaye by friel, on Flickr


----------



## Tom 958 (Apr 24, 2007)

Oh, wow, that's sad. And it's still a long way from the paved segments of the CAR's road network.

Google Maps link


----------



## NFZANMNIM (Jul 6, 2012)




----------



## Pyarsekaho (Mar 24, 2015)

This was likely attempted in the late 1990s. Only the bridge piers were built, the deck was never finished. This was the only attempt to build a bridge across this river.????


----------

