First phase: 23 km of Hargeisa roads and the Bundaweyn bridge

Hiiraan Online reported on 8 August 2026 that Somalia's federal government had begun signing a design and feasibility study agreement for a road project in Hargeisa, Somaliland. Public Works, Reconstruction and Housing Minister Ayuub Ismail Yusuf said the first phase involves 23 kilometres starting in Hargeisa and construction of the Bundaweyn, or Big Bridge, at an estimated cost of about USD 20 million.

What the source records

According to Hiiraan Online, the minister said the project will cover about 45 kilometres of road in total. He said the federal government is overseeing projects involving about 89 kilometres of roads across Jubaland, South West, Galmudug, Hirshabelle, Puntland and Somaliland. The minister said the work sits under the Nagaad Project, which the World Bank and other international organisations support. The source describes the agreement as a design and feasibility study stage.

What it means on site

Design and feasibility work sets the alignment, the pavement and drainage arrangement, and the bridge geometry before any civil works package exists. Until drawings and a bill of quantities are issued, a contractor cannot price earthworks, culverts, kerbs or the bridge substructure, and a client cannot compare bids on the same scope. Ask the implementing office for the signed design agreement, the study deliverables list and the survey control points, then check whether the bridge location and the first 23 km appear on the same drawing set.

What the source does not establish

A design and feasibility agreement is not a construction contract. The source names no contractor, no supervision consultant, no start date and no completion date for either the 23 km or the bridge. The USD 20 million figure is described by the minister as an estimate for the initial phase. The source also notes the long-running political dispute between Mogadishu and Hargeisa, which can affect which authority signs and administers any later works. Whether design has started, and where the corridor runs, cannot be confirmed from this report; a signed contract award or an issued tender document would show the present state.

What to do next

Ask the Ministry of Public Works, Reconstruction and Housing for the design and feasibility agreement, the study programme and the proposed corridor for the first 23 kilometres. Request the same documents from the Hargeisa municipal engineer's office, and confirm which office will advertise any later construction tender.