The Pont Maréchal is a suspension bridge spanning the Congo river at Matadi, in Kongo Central province, about 50 km downstream from Kinshasa towards Boma. It is the province's foremost tourist attraction.
The structure is 722 metres long and rises 53 metres above the river. It connects the Cataractes and Bas-Fleuve districts, playing a strategic role in the country's economic exchanges.
Construction was carried out by a Japanese consortium with partial Japanese government funding. Work began in 1979 and the bridge was opened to traffic on 20 May 1983, inaugurated by President Mobutu. Originally designed as a combined road-rail bridge, the rail section was never put into service.
The Pont Maréchal ranks 68th worldwide among suspension bridges and 2nd in Africa, behind the Maputo-Catembe bridge in Mozambique.
