Highlights
• Traffic resumes on RN1 after Bundwe Bridge collapse halted transport for three weeks.
• Chinese firm CREC-9 completed emergency repairs in coordination with Congolese authorities.
• The bridge, vital for trade between Greater Katanga and Greater Kasai, had already collapsed in 2023.
Traffic has resumed on National Road No. 1 (RN1) at the Bundwe Bridge, reconnecting Luena to Kabondo-Dianda in Haut-Lomami, after a three-week shutdown. The Congolese Public Works Agency (ACGT) confirmed on September 22, 2025, that repairs have been completed. The works were carried out by Chinese construction firm CREC-9, in partnership with the Roads Authority.
The 165-meter-long bridge over the Congo River collapsed on September 1 under the weight of a truck from Lubumbashi, leaving hundreds of vehicles stranded. The disruption cut off the supply of goods from Bukama to Kamina and other towns in Greater Katanga, causing ripple effects across trade with Greater Kasai.
Following appeals by local elected officials, Infrastructure and Public Works Minister John Banza ordered urgent intervention. Repair crews completed the work in just two days, allowing traffic to flow again on one of the country’s most strategic routes.
The Bundwe Bridge, however, has shown vulnerabilities: it was last repaired in 2023, after a similar collapse.
Ronsard Luabeya
