President Félix Tshisekedi inaugurated the Étienne Tshisekedi boulevard project in Kinshasa this week, marking the official start of a twelve-month construction campaign. The ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Judith Suminwa Tuluka and Kinshasa Governor Daniel Bumba. The new avenue will stretch 2,020 metres in length and feature eight traffic lanes—four in each direction—along with a 750-metre dual-lane slip road. Other elements include drainage networks, bridges, culverts and public lighting infrastructure.

China Railway 20th Bureau Group embarks on its first public contract in DRC

The construction contract has been awarded to China Railway 20th Bureau Group (CR20), a Chinese firm with extensive experience in large-scale infrastructure projects. Company Director General Zhang Guoxu confirmed that this marks CR20’s maiden public-sector contract in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He emphasised the company’s commitment to strict adherence to project timelines and technical standards, alongside rigorous quality controls and environmental safeguards. Governor Daniel Bumba stressed the need for rigorous compliance with technical requirements and contractual deadlines, highlighting the urgent need to alleviate traffic pressure in the targeted zone.

Prior to the groundbreaking ceremony, President Tshisekedi reviewed detailed plans of the boulevard’s layout, proposed amenities and key structural components. Visual renderings of the completed avenue were also presented, illustrating its role in expanding road capacity and improving mobility across Kinshasa’s most congested corridors. Once operational, the Étienne Tshisekedi boulevard is expected to integrate seamlessly with the capital’s existing road network, redistributing traffic flows and easing bottlenecks on overburdened routes. Success will hinge on the contractor’s execution quality, timely delivery and effective coordination with other arterial roads in the city.