The Yaoundé bypass road, a landmark urban infrastructure project in Cameroon, has attracted a new bidder. Indian firm Ashoka Buildcon Limited has officially entered the race for this contract, valued at over 1.26 trillion FCFA excluding taxes. The company submitted an integrated proposal on 9 June to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, the government body overseeing the scheme.

During the meeting, Vinit Chitale, the group’s global business development head, outlined a plan built around the EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) model. Under this arrangement, a single contractor handles design, procurement, construction and handover. Ashoka Buildcon also expressed willingness to help secure financial resources, a critical factor as the financing round remains incomplete.

A 90-kilometre ring road to ease congestion in Cameroon’s capital

Planned as a 90.54-kilometre dual carriageway (2×2 lanes), the Yaoundé bypass will cross the departments of Mfoundi, Lékié, Mefou-et-Afamba, and Mefou-et-Akono. The wide road profile is designed to eventually accommodate an expressway or a dedicated public transport corridor. The route is divided into four successive sections: from Mbankomo to Nkolméyang, then to Nkozoa, Minkoameyos, and back to Mbankomo.

The infrastructure includes 16 interchanges, multiple bridges, and hydraulic works to secure the alignment. According to the ministry’s latest estimates, the road component alone would cost 794.7 billion FCFA excluding taxes. To this is added the development of four urban growth poles in the communes of Mbankomo, Mfou, Soa, and Okola, costing an extra 469 billion FCFA. The total cost therefore reaches 1,263.7 billion FCFA excluding taxes.

Per kilometre, these figures highlight the scale of the financial undertaking. The road infrastructure alone costs nearly 8.8 billion FCFA per kilometre. Including the associated urban poles, the price jumps to about 14 billion FCFA per kilometre, a ratio that ranks this project among the most capital-intensive ever launched in the region.

Section T3, a technical showcase for European donors

Unable to start all four sections at once, the Cameroonian government has designated section T3 as the operational priority. Stretching 22.8 kilometres, it connects Nkozoa on National Road No. 1 to Minkoameyos at the end of the Yaoundé-Douala motorway. This segment is considered strategic because it would capture a large share of transit traffic before it enters the capital, relieving pressure on central roads.

The European Union and the European Investment Bank (EIB) have already shown strong interest in this section. However, finalising their participation depends on several technical, environmental and social prerequisites, including compensation payments, impact studies, and completion of the resettlement action plan. It is precisely in this gap that Ashoka Buildcon’s offer fits, potentially broadening the range of solutions available for Yaoundé.

Nevertheless, several areas of uncertainty remain. The exact legal nature of the planned contract, the financial terms, any guarantees potentially sought from the Cameroonian state, and how the Indian proposal aligns with the European donors already committed to section T3 have not been decided. A scheme combining European concessional financing with Indian input on the other sections still needs to be explored.

Ashoka Buildcon, a diversified Indian road player

Ashoka Buildcon Limited is one of India’s leading road infrastructure developers. The group works on EPC contracts, as well as public-private partnerships, BOT (Build-Operate-Transfer) arrangements, and the Hybrid Annuity Model, a mechanism popular in India where the government covers part of the investment and the operator finances the remainder in exchange for annuities. The company is also active in energy, rail, and construction.

For Cameroonian authorities, the appeal of such a partner lies in its demonstrated ability to combine engineering, execution, and financial structuring in a single offer. However, there is no indication yet of a contract award. At this stage, the move appears to be an expression of interest in a project whose technical readiness contrasts with the persistent delay in securing full funding. Transforming a long-prepared dossier into an active construction site remains the true test for Yaoundé. The Indian group’s positioning comes as the search for partners continues actively.