The street in New Bell was considered distress and no-go to most commuters who avoided it.

“Rue Roi Njoya”, one of the oldest and longest streets in New-Bell hitherto unsuitable for heavy and small vehicles, is receiving a facelift that is likely to be reckoned with in the history of New Bell.

The Douala City Council rehabilitation project on the street emanates at the Shell New Bell junction, passing by the cemetery and continuing into the Nkololoun neighbourhood.

As worries about the state of the road will soon be over with effective rehabilitation work going on, a new problem has cropped up – that of congestion on other roads in the area as commuters are not yet allowed to use “Rue Roi Njoya”.

Commuting New Bell during rush hours and on week-ends is nightmarish. The situation is further compounded by blockages set up along other streets in the area for celebrations like funerals, baptisms and some anniversaries.

Prior to rehabilitation, trucks and yellow cabs (apart from motorcycle taxis) needed about two hours to cover a distance of less than five kilometres on the street.

Work by the China Road and Bridge Corporation Cameroon Office, which has deployed heavy machineries to dig up gutters and technicians coating their walls with concrete, began about a month ago.

However, the rehabilitation has gained a common expression of welcome from commuters, who are curiously waiting for its finish in order to relish the development. Once rutted, rugged and with several wet spots, “Rue Roi Njoya” due to soon be tarred is an imminent facelift in the Douala II Subdivision.

The City Council project, which is due to last 24 months, had squandered most of the months to reasons City Council officials are maintaining seal lips over before work began. The rehabilitation of the stretch has been a bane between the Douala II Municipal Council and the Douala City Council.