Work to rehabilitate a 65-km section of National Highway 18 (RN18) in Kwilu province began on February 9, 2026, covering the stretch between Petit-Kasaï and Bulungu, as well as a secondary road serving the Vanga Catholic mission.

The project is part of the Sino-Congolese cooperation programme implemented by the Société d’Infrastructures Sino-Congolaise (SISC) and financed by Sino-Congolaise des Mines (Sicomines). It includes strengthening the road surface, installing drainage ditches and systems, and repairing and reinforcing structures such as bridges and culverts to ensure year-round trafficability and improve safety.

Sinohydro 14, a subcontractor to SISC, is carrying out the works under the supervision of the Congolese Agency for Major Works (ACGT). The start of construction follows a site assessment conducted in June 2025 by ACGT engineers to gather technical data.

The rehabilitation comes amid concerns over the deteriorating state of the road and erosion risks around Bulungu, which threatened to render sections impassable, isolate villages and hinder access to essential services, particularly healthcare and education.

In April 2025, elected officials from Bulungu had already alerted the Office of Roads to the degradation of several segments, notably the 5-km Kimbulu stretch leading to the Vanga referral hospital in Kilunda sector. In a letter signed by Serge Maseka Ndombe, vice-president of the Kwilu Provincial Assembly, provincial deputies requested financial and logistical support to maintain or rehabilitate the section, citing the need to facilitate patient access and support local socio-economic activity.

The letter underscored the strategic importance of the road for evacuating agricultural produce and maintaining access to basic services in Bulungu territory. RN18 connects National Highway 1 (RN1) to remote rural communities, serving as a key corridor for the movement of people, goods and farm output to regional markets.

Boaz Kabeya