This article describes the system of transport in Senegal, both public and private. This system comprises roads (both paved and unpaved), rail transport, water transport, and air transportation.
RoadsEdit
The system of roads in Senegal is extensive by West African standards, with paved roads reaching each corner of the country and all major towns.
International highwaysEdit
Dakar is the endpoint of three routes in the Trans-African Highway network. These are as follows:
- Cairo-Dakar Highway which crosses the edge of the Sahara
- Dakar-Ndjamena Highway which links the countries of the Sahel, also called the Trans-Sahelian Highway
- Dakar-Lagos Highway running along the West African coast and called by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) the Trans–West African Coastal Highway (though ECOWAS considers this route to start in Nouakchott, Mauritania).
Senegal's road network links closely with those of the Gambia, since the shortest route between south-western districts on the one hand and west-central and north-western districts on the other is through the Gambia.
MotorwaysEdit
The country currently has two autoroutes: Template:Interlanguage link and Template:Interlanguage link.<ref name=":0">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=":2">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> A third autoroute, Autoroute A3, is currently being planned.<ref name=":2" />
Autoroute A1 runs from Dakar to M'Bour via Blaise Diagne International Airport.<ref name=":2" /> The A1 was built via a public-private partnership between French civil engineering firm Eiffage (which has a majority ownership in its toll road portion), and the Senegalese government.<ref name=":0" />
Autoroute A2 runs from Dakar to Touba, via Thiès.<ref name=":2" />
The planned Autoroute A3 will run from Dakar to Saint-Louis, and will span about Template:Convert in length.<ref name=":2" />
National roadsEdit
The most important roads in Senegal are prefixed "N" and numbered from 1 to 7:
- N1: Dakar – Mbour - Fatick - Kaolack – Tambacounda – Kidira – (Mali)
- N2: Pout – Thiès – Louga - St-Louis – Richard Toll – Ouro Sogui – Kidira - (Mali)
- N3: Thiès – Diourbel – Touba – Linguère – Ouro Sogui
- N4: Kaolack – (Trans-Gambia Highway) – Bignona – Ziguinchor – (Guinea-Bissau)
- N5: Bignona – Diouloulou – (Gambia) - Sokone - Kaolack
- N6: Tambacounda – Vélingara - Kolda – Ziguinchor – (Guinea-Bissau)
- N7: Ouro Sogui - Tambacounda – Niokolo-Koba – Kédougou – Guinea
Regional roadsEdit
Major incidentsEdit
RailwaysEdit
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According to the CIA World Factbook, Senegal had a total of Template:Convert of railways as of 2017, of which Template:Convert was operational, and all of which were Template:RailGauge gauge.<ref name=":3">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Since then, the first phase of the Train Express Regional Dakar-AIBD (TER Dakar) has begun operations in December 2021, adding Template:Convert to Senegal's railway network.<ref name=":4">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> There are plans to add another Template:Convert to the TER Dakar, to connect it to Blaise Diagne International Airport.<ref name=":4" /><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Unlike the rest of Senegal's network, the TER Dakar uses standard gauge.
Other rail lines in Senegal include the partially-operational Dakar–Saint-Louis railway, which is used for freight, and the Dakar–Niger Railway. The Petit train de banlieue provided commuter rail service until 2016, and has since been replaced with the TER Dakar.
MapsEdit
Ground transportEdit
There were an estimated Template:Convert of paved roads and Template:Convert of unpaved roads as of 1996.
Dakar has a bus rapid transit (BRT) network: Sunu BRT, which currently has two routes in operation, with two more planned.<ref name=":1">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Taxis (black-yellow or blue-yellow in color) are cheap, numerous and available everywhere in Dakar.<ref name="ccg" /> It is customary to negotiate the fare since most meters installed in the taxis are broken or missing.<ref name="ccg" /> For travel outside Dakar, public transportation is available but often unreliable and uncomfortable.<ref name="ccg" />
WaterwaysEdit
Template:Convert total; Template:Convert on the Senegal river, and Template:Convert on the Saloum River.Template:Citation needed
Ports and harboursEdit
Dakar has one of the largest deep-water seaports along the West African coast.<ref name=ccg/> Its deep-draft structure and Template:Convert access channel allows round-the-clock access to the port.<ref name=ccg/> Its current infrastructure includes tanker vessel loading and unloading terminals, a container terminal with a storage capacity of 3000 20-foot-equivalent units, a cereals and fishing port, a dedicated phosphate terminal and a privately run ship repair facility.<ref name=ccg/> The port's location at the extreme western point of Africa, at the crossroad of the major sea-lanes linking Europe to South America, makes it a natural port of call for shipping companies.<ref name=ccg/> Total freight traffic averages 10 million metric tons.<ref name=ccg/>
AirportsEdit
Template:See also Per the CIA World Factbook, Senegal has 20 airports as of 2025.<ref name=":3" /> Blaise Diagne International Airport in Diass became the hub of the sub-region.<ref name=ccg>Senegal Country Commercial Guide 2008 Template:Webarchive. U.S. Commercial Service (2008). Template:PD-notice</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Dakar is linked to numerous African cities by air, and daily flights go to Europe.<ref name=ccg/> Delta Air Lines flies daily to/from Atlanta/Dakar/Johannesburg.<ref name=ccg/> South African Airways flies daily to New York and Washington, D.C. from Johannesburg via Dakar.<ref name=ccg/> The old Léopold Sédar Senghor International Airport in Dakar is now only exists as a cargo hub.
See alsoEdit
ReferencesEdit
External linksEdit
Template:Senegal topics Template:Africa in topic Template:CIA World Factbook Template:Motorways in Africa