Panel bridges for Burkina Faso

In 2009, Waagner-Biro obtained its first contract in Burkina Faso in an international open tender. This contract included the supply of four panel bridges (further development of Bailey-type bridges) with a length of 27 metres and a width of 4.20 metres each.

All delivered bridges were designed to meet load class MLC 70. In addition, ramps, a launching nose and spare parts were supplied. During a three-week training with 26 workers in spring 2010, the Minister of Infrastructure Seydou Kaboré could assure himself of the rapidity with which the Waagner-Biro bridge can be installed. For that purpose, a panel bridge was assembled by way of trial and launched across the river Nazinon in the region "Centre-Ouest".

The bridges were acquired by the company GEC-AMO and then delivered to the end customer, the Ministry of Infrastructure in Burkina Faso ("Ministère des Infrastructures et du Désenclavement").

In the meantime, already two Waagner-Biro panel bridges have been installed as replacement bridges. The first one is located in Lanfiera, where an old bridge structure collapsed after a heavily loaded truck had driven over it. The new bridge is 27 metres long and was built using Waagner-Biro panel bridge components. This made it possible to maintain a key transit route to Ghana. The second panel bridge, 39 metres long, has only recently been assembled and launched across the river Nazinon. It is located on the route “Nationale 05”.