The coastal road known as Marginal Highway runs south for 10 km, linking the international airport of São Tomé and Príncipe with the town of Pantufo, located about 3 km from the capital. This road plays a key role for the social and economic development of the country and above all for the promotion of tourism.
The high rainfall in the area, due to its tropical nature, the rise in sea level and the intensification of storms that hit Lagarto, Ana Chaves and the Pantufo coast, make the road very vulnerable to the effects of climate change, presenting a significant deterioration that has led the Government of the country to include it in its Climate Action Plan according to the Paris 2015 agreement.
The country’s Ministry of Public Works, Infrastructure, Natural Resources and Environment, with funding from the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO), trusted TYPSA, in 2020, to carry out the Marginal reconstruction project.
The project includes numerous actions of various kinds, in which TYPSA has carried out comprehensive work, in which the following stand out as main tasks:
- Coastal protection studies and designs, evaluating the effects of climate change and erosion on a fragile and exposed coastline.
- Complete redesign of the road section, including the new development of the road with intersections and roundabouts, reorganisation of accesses, as well as the expansion of the roadway to improve safety and traffic flow.
- Sustainable mobility planning, integrating bicycle paths and pedestrian spaces into urban environments, with criteria for pacifying traffic and friendlier urban design.
- Drainage and structural engineering, which includes the modernisation of the storm drainage system and the rehabilitation or replacement of bridges and crossing works.
- Study of the environmental impact and definition of specific protection measures for local fauna, especially to preserve the nesting areas of marine turtles present in the affected coastal strip.
- Analysis and proposal of social solutions, to mitigate the impacts of works on vulnerable groups, such as traditional washers and fishermen who use areas close to the road.
- Economic and financial studies that guarantee the sustainability of the project from a technical and budgetary point of view, in accordance with EIB standards.
With the completion of the first phase in 2022 and its validation by funding institutions and local authorities, TYPSA consolidated a key project to improve connectivity between São Tomé International Airport (TMS) and the bays of Lagarto, Ana Chaves and Pantufo, along a stretch of 8.8 km.
Currently, TYPSA remains involved as a technical advisor in the implementation of the project, providing specialised support to the EIB and the São Tomé General Highway Authority (INAE) through a team of experts in various areas.
Despite a start conditioned by changes in public administration and in construction equipment, work has gained momentum and is progressing steadily. The execution of the works is expected to continue during 2025 and part of 2026, modernising an infrastructure essential for mobility and sustainable development in the country.
