New road from Libia to Niger

[PeterV74]

Hi guys,
I saw Moammar Khadaffi is fulfilling his dreams: a road from Tripoli to Niamey. On asphalt! What a pity...

Click here to read the article: Libya constructs Tripoli-Niamey highway - Africa-News.net - Sharing an interest in Africa

what do you think?

[Chris Scott]

Well we know they were building it between Tumu and El Gatrun before it became closed to tourists - but a trans-Tenere Highway? - and why through Bilma? - I think we're safe for a while unless the crew who built Nouadhibou-Noukchott turn up with their shovels.

Ch

[Richard Washington]

Even if a 4 lane black road were completed through the Tenere in Niger this afternoon, I would say it would only be 3 years before the trucks were driving down the inter-dune corridors on the sand sheet again - maybe next to the road or maybe with the road underneath the corridor.

Niger doesn't have the capacity to maintain a remote road in a place where the sand flux is so high. It doesn't seem to have the capacity to maintain a road into the capital, Niamey. When the Uranium road turns off south to the coast, the road going on from east to west to the capital turns into a mess.

And Libya blows hot and cold on whether it wants traffic from the south in any case. Not so long ago, Libya was rounding up and flying out the migrants from south of the Sahara.

[Roman]

If mining/exploration interest are there, maybe it is going to be a "private road", like the one from Awaliyah to Mars Braygah in NE Libya. The section leading to this "private road" from Maradah is the worst kind of beathen path you can imagine, yet another section used by lorries bringing supplies to the GMMRP and oil installation is very good.

[Sam Rutherford]

I reckon!

Sam.