In Kikwit, in Kwilu province in the south-west of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the "lower town" market is bustling. No-one seems bothered by the sun, which is at its zenith. Motorcycles, tricycles, goods trucks and street vendors intermingle in a constant, noisy ballet, signs of the economic dynamism of this city located more than 600 kilometres from the capital, Kinshasa.

In the distance, men can already be seen busy loading huge blue plastic drums onto large trucks lined up in single file at the edge of the market. Their destination: Kinshasa, via National Road No. 1 or RN1.

Modeste Mafangala, a road haulier, makes no secret of his satisfaction with a recent major change in his daily life: the repair of the Kinshasa–N'Djili–Batshamba section of the RN1.

"Before, it was very difficult to get from here to Kinshasa. You could spend a week or two on the road. But now the road is good. The goods we’re loading today will arrive at their destination the next day, either by bus, truck or motorcycle," he says, visibly relieved.

The project to renovate the 622-kilometre section of RN1 between Kinshasa, N'Djili and Batshamba was financed to the tune of $70.2 million by the African Development Fund, the African Development Bank Group’s concessional financing window. The project addresses the major challenge of opening up rural areas to trade in goods and services. Long isolated due to poor road conditions, the provinces of Kwango and Kwilu now enjoy better connectivity with the capital and with each other.

This improvement greatly facilitates interprovincial trade and creates momentum for regional economic integration. The impact on transport conditions is particularly evident. The journey between Kinshasa and Kikwit, and even Batshamba, now takes just six hours. In addition to reducing travel times, the improved road quality has also led to a significant reduction in the number of accidents.

"Back then, hauliers would spend days on end trying to reach Kikwit or Tshikapa,” explains Jean Luemba, project implementation coordinator in Kinshasa.  “But today, they get there in less time and save money on fuel and even spare parts, because with all the potholes on the road, vehicles used to suffer significant damage. You could say that hauliers are now getting their money's worth."

But the benefits of the project go far beyond simply repairing the road. An integrated approach to development has multiplied the positive impacts for the people living in the project area. Schools now have access to drinking water, health centres have been built, rural markets refurbished, agricultural tracks upgraded, and several villages equipped with boreholes.

At the Don Bosco Institute in Kenge, for example, the project has changed the daily lives of the students. A drinking water borehole with a standpipe has been installed in the schoolyard, so the students can now enjoy their breaks without worrying about finding water to drink.

Espérance Anga, a student in the 4th grade general mechanics class, said: "This is a very good thing for us. Before, we had trouble getting drinking water during breaks. We used to buy water in bags from the canteen. Now, thanks to the borehole, it's much easier."

The RN1 renovation project is a major infrastructure initiative that is expected to have positive effects on socioeconomic development in the Democratic Republic of Congo. By connecting Kinshasa to the provinces of Kwango and Kwilu, the road facilitates travel and trade, with a knock-on effect on the daily life of communities and economic activity.

"Today, people living along the road can get more value from their daily produce. They can sell more easily because vehicles now have direct access to their villages. One mother, for example, no longer needs to travel to Kinshasa or the market to sell a bag of cassava or charcoal: she can sell it in front of her house. It's a real change in their daily lives," says Jean Luemba.