The Cameroun national highway 5, stretching from the economic hub of Douala to Bafoussam and onward to Bamenda in the Northwest Anglophone region, has become a symbol of neglect. Once a vital economic artery, this critical road network now carries the grim distinction of being one of the most dangerous routes in the country.
Decades of minimal maintenance, relentless heavy vehicle traffic, and the intensifying effects of climate change have turned this once-reliable corridor into a hazard-strewn obstacle course. Severe flooding, deep potholes, and sudden ground collapses now characterize every journey, with local authorities struggling to keep pace with the accelerating decay.
Journeys transformed into ordeals
Traveling from Douala to Bafoussam is no longer a routine trip—it’s a test of endurance. The same 250-kilometer stretch that once took three and a half hours now demands grueling detours and upward of ten hours of travel time. Vehicles crawl through submerged sections, where rainwater erodes the asphalt and exposes gaping craters in the road surface.
Alice, a passenger on one of these harrowing trips, shared her experience: “We left Bafoussam 14 hours ago. The main route is completely impassable in the Haut-Nkam area. We were forced to take a detour through Yaoundé, even though that wasn’t our destination, just to reach Bagangté and reconnect with the road to Douala. We’re exhausted, our bodies aching from the ordeal.”
The deadly triangle
The terrain of the Western region, marked by steep slopes and unstable soil, amplifies the risks. The Dschang cliff collapse in November 2024, which buried buses and cars under tons of earth and claimed 14 lives, served as a stark reminder of the road’s vulnerability. This stretch—dubbed the “Triangle of Death” for its high fatality rate—is believed to claim nearly 100 lives monthly, according to local assessments.
Travelers describe arriving in Bafoussam or Douala as nothing short of a painful relief. One anonymous commuter reflected: “I got here at 2 a.m. today. It was pure torture. I’d even pay double the fare to avoid the National 5 altogether. Taking the National 3 through Yaoundé via the National 6 would be safer than risking ten or eleven hours on this death trap.”
Awaiting action
In response to the crisis, authorities have announced a rehabilitation plan estimated at 180 billion CFA francs. Yet frustration is boiling over among drivers and passengers, who question the purpose of toll payments on a road that has effectively reverted to a rough track. Mika Séma, a local transporter, voiced the collective anger: “We pay tolls to maintain the road. But when the road doesn’t exist, why should we keep paying? The government must act now to restore this lifeline before more lives are lost.”
With the rainy seasons growing harsher each year and no large-scale repairs in sight, the Douala-Bafoussam highway remains a ticking time bomb for Cameroun’s transportation safety.
