Opening 'Roads' to Freedom and Mobility

One of the most impressive rebuilding efforts in rehabilitating Angola's infrastructure has been in area of rebuilding the road system.  During the armed conflict, the interprovincial roads were not able to receive any maintenance services which resulted in the gradual deterioration and destruction of much of the infrastructure.  Aside from air transport, this lack of road access essentially isolated the isolated, interior regions from the major urban areas.

New 2010 year-end reports show that the efforts of this reconstruction have rebuilt more than 6,000 kilometres (3,600 miles) of roads in Angola between 2005 and 2010 under the National Reconstruction programme.

Joaquim Sebastião, director general of the Angolan National Roads Institute (INEA), said more than 7,500km would be rebuilt between 2011 and 2013. Future construction programmes also included repairing and rebuilding 1,400 bridges.

The rebuilding of the roads and bridges has now re-established links between the provinces' chief towns, showing the direct effects of increased trade and decreased transport costs of produce and products. (ANGOP)