The president of Senegal, Macky Sall, has praised the Sene-Gambia relations calling it a model of integration.

President Sall, who was the guest of honour at the opening ceremony of the the Senegambia Bridge at YelliTenda Crossing Point, described the inauguration as a great stride in the Senegambia relations. He paid homage to President Adama Barrow for his vision and steadfastness calling him “a brother and a friend.”

Sall said the bridge would not have been completed if it wasn’t for the political will shown in realising a “long cherished Senegambia dream.”

“I am very proud to have inaugurated with my counterpart, Adama Barrow, the bridge linking our two countries. This historic project, expected by our two populations for decades, represents a model of African integration.

“Senegal and Gambia can only have peace. We may be colonised by the French and the English and therefore speak their languages as our official ones. But our native languages and cultures are ours. The benefits of the bridge are for both peoples but the bridge belongs to The Gambia. It is in Gambia.”

President Adama Barrow in his inaugural speech said he could not help but wonder why it took so long to have a bridge at this point across the River Gambia.

“In spite of the delay, this magnificent bridge will, henceforth, be a major component of the Trans-Gambia corridor – a corridor that is essential for development, integration and trade expansion within the ECOWAS sub-region.”

Government officials of both countries, representatives of the African Union, the ECOWAS and the African Development Bank were among the dignitaries that graced the opening ceremony.

The bridge has a 100-year warranty and it is designed to be installed with a toll facility and traffic lights. It is expected to facilitate overland traffic flow between the northern and southern parts of both The Gambia and Senegal, including the West Africa sub-region. The 243km road stretch corridor (Kaolack-Dingiraiya – Kerr Ayib – Farafenni – Senoba – Bigona – Zinguichor) will serve both intrastate and interstate traffic.

The bridge projected which was started in the 1950s got bogged down in political wrangling and contractual issues.