Major new highway project for Mali

A new highway project is being planned that will help boost the economy of Mali. The landlocked country is one of the most impoverished nations in Africa and this new highway will provide a direct link from its capital Bamako to the port of San Pedro in Côte d'Ivoire. Much of the financing for the project is being provided through a loan worth US$ 187.61 million from the African Development Bank. The new highway link will also help develop the port of San Pedro, which is currently the second largest in Côte d'Ivoire. The road link will be of enormous economic importance for Mali as well as Burkina Faso, which is also landlocked and is also one of Africa’s least developed nations. The new highway will also provide better transport connections to the port from the eastern parts of Guinea and Liberia.