Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games: Roadworks begin in Saly, traffic patterns redesigned

Road rehabilitation work on the Saly road will begin next week as part of preparations for the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games (YOG). Estimated to last between 15 and 20 days, these improvements aim to enhance road infrastructure while leaving a lasting legacy for the seaside resort.

As a prelude to the start of construction, an information and consultation meeting was held under the chairmanship of the sub-prefect of the Sindia district, El Hadji Djiby Bocoum. It brought together local authorities, security forces, representatives of local governments, and community leaders to present the new traffic plan that will accompany the works.

“We wanted the decision to be inclusive, to involve different segments of society in order to gather their opinions so that, ultimately, the traffic plan would be adopted by the people. We are three months away from the Youth Olympic Games. It is imperative that these projects are completed on time,” explained Sub-Prefect Bocoum.

According to him, this system aims to guarantee the mobility of users while allowing companies to carry out the work on time.

Acknowledging the temporary inconveniences that residents, traders and various road users may experience, Mr. Bocoum assured that all measures are being taken to reduce the impact.

“We are simply asking the people to be patient for about twenty days. In return, they will benefit from a fully rehabilitated road, which will be a legacy of the Youth Olympic Games for the municipality of Saly,” he said.

Diversion routes on three main axes

The urban commissioner of Saly, Omar Mbaye, detailed the traffic plan developed to maintain traffic flow during the works.

The first affected section extends from the Saly Museum to the Casino roundabout. Motorists will be advised to take the road to the Rhino Hotel before reaching Ngaparou. Residents of the Saly Tapé and Saly Koulang neighborhoods will have several alternative routes available, including the road to the mosque, the community center, the town hall parking lot, and the cemetery.

The second sector concerns the road linking Carrefour Market to the Résidence du Golfe. Users will be able to bypass the closed area by taking the Rhino road before reaching the stadium and then the Résidence du Golfe.

Finally, the third route covers the section from the Tanière road to the Port Residence. Motorists will be directed towards the Cypress Residence, then Tanière and Cité Espoir to rejoin the main road leading to Ngaparou.

Commissioner Omar Mbaye announced that police officers will be deployed at the various diversion points to guide motorists and ensure smooth traffic flow throughout the duration of the works.

Present at this meeting, Khady Dia Sarr, head of urban operations within the Organising Committee of the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, recalled that this awareness mission will continue until the end of the week in the communes of Saly, Ngaparou and Somone.

She stressed that this work is part of the effort to leave modern infrastructure for the local population after the Games.

"It's a temporary inconvenience, but above all it's a lasting legacy that the Youth Olympic Games will leave to the municipality of Saly," she stated.

The authorities are now counting on the involvement of the population, religious leaders, sports associations, "badienou gokh" and traditional communicators to ensure proper appropriation of the new traffic plan and contribute to the smooth running of this strategic project in view of the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games.