Inaugurated on Saturday, August 22, 2026 in Thiadiaye, in the region of Thies, by President Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar Faye, the toll highway Mbour-Fatick-Kaolack now connects the Petite Côte to the heart of the Peanut Basin. Stretching over 100 kilometers, complemented by 15 kilometers of connecting roads, the infrastructure has a total cost of $738 million, mainly financed by a preferential loan from the Chinese Exim Bank, which covers nearly $620 million.
The commissioning of this axis comes after several years of work and aims to improve the movement of people and goods between Mbour, Fatick, Kaolack, and surrounding territories. For Senegalese authorities, the challenge goes beyond mobility: it is about bringing production areas closer to markets, reducing transport times, and facilitating access to the tourist, agricultural, commercial, and logistical hubs of the area.
Present at the ceremony, the Chinese Ambassador to Senegal, Li Zhigang, attended the inauguration alongside the head of state. The latter praised a major achievement for Senegal, “illustrating the quality of relations” between Dakar and Beijing, and congratulated the Ministries of Infrastructure and Transport for accelerating the execution of the works.
3,000 direct jobs and 60 billion CFA francs in subcontracting
According to official data released during the inauguration, the construction site mobilized 3,000 direct jobs and paid out over 18 billion CFA francs in wages, approximately $32 million. Twenty Senegalese companies and SMEs also participated in the project, with 60 billion CFA francs in subcontracting contracts, approximately $107 million. These amounts illustrate the desired benefits by Senegal through its major projects: job creation, development of local businesses, and circulation of economic demand.
The circulation comes just a few days before the Gamou of Tivaouane, expected on August 25 and 26. The new axis should facilitate the movement of thousands of faithful and reduce pressure on existing roads.
Beyond road traffic, the project carries an ambition of territorial development. By bringing populations, agro-poles, and production areas closer to the main economic centers, it fits into the policy of territorial equity and harmonious development of the territory desired by the head of state.
With its 115 kilometers of infrastructure, the Mbour-Fatick-Kaolack highway is one of the major road investments in Senegal and a new marker of Sino-Senegalese economic cooperation.
