Abidjan Metro and Major Infrastructure: Where Things Stand in 2026

Abidjan is the economic capital of Côte d'Ivoire (in West Africa, French-speaking, the world's largest cocoa producer), and traffic congestion is a daily challenge there. Major projects — a metro, bridges and a bus rapid transit system — are reshaping the city's transport map and are also a market that engineering, equipment and related service companies are watching. Below is a summary of verifiable progress as of October 2026.

Metro Line 1: scale and timeline

According to figures published by the contractor Bouygues, Abidjan Metro Line 1 is a north–south line running from Anyama in the north to Port-Bouët in the south. It is about 37 km long with 18 stations and is designed to carry more than 500,000 passengers a day. The works are led by Bouygues Travaux Publics in a consortium with Colas Rail, Alstom and Keolis; the project owner is the Ivorian government.

Preliminary works began in 2018 and main construction started in 2022. The opening date has been revised several times: in May 2026 the government reiterated a target of "around 2029", while an official meeting in October 2026 referred to 2028–2029. Some media put the total cost at around €1.3–1.7 billion; no final official figure has been published.

Status of works in 2026

Based on site footage released by the Ministry of Transport in February 2026 and media reports:

• The railway viaduct in Treichville crossing the Ébrié Lagoon (lagune Ébrié) is complete: 605 metres long and 11 metres wide.
• On the northern section around Anyama and Abobo, several station buildings are under construction and some road bridges are finished.
• North of Adjamé, earthworks, foundation treatment and utility works are under way.

In May 2026 the infrastructure minister inspected station sites around Marcory; in October that year the minister also met the SETEC group, which acts as the project owner's technical adviser, to review progress and call for completion on schedule.

Other major transport projects

With the BRT running east–west and the metro north–south, they form the two main axes of Abidjan's public transport plan. Overall coordination of transport in Greater Abidjan rests with the Greater Abidjan Urban Mobility Authority (AMUGA).

One line for Asian companies

Most of these projects are carried out by international consortia, so for Asian companies the more realistic entry points are usually subcontracting, equipment, materials and operation and maintenance services. Timelines should be taken from official announcements — before planning, check the latest status directly with the transport and infrastructure authorities.

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References: Bouygues Construction – Métro d'Abidjan; Connectionivoirienne – Où en est vraiment la ligne 1 en 2026 ? (2026); KOACI – Visite du ministre Hien Sié, mise en service horizon 2029 (2026); KOACI – Hien Sié et le groupe SETEC (2026); KOACI – Avancement des travaux du BRT (2026); Journal du Cameroun – Abidjan ouvre officiellement son quatrième pont (2024)