Will Bemolanga finally be put to use? Three hundred tons of bituminous sandstone are set to be extracted from the Bemolanga site, in the Morafenobe district, for an initial phase of technical and scientific testing. The material will be used to rehabilitate and pave approximately 1,400 meters of road in the town of Morafenobe, the district capital located in the Melaky region.
The operation aims to determine the characteristics and properties of the bitumen derived from this local resource and to evaluate its effectiveness for road construction and rehabilitation work. The National Laboratory for Public Works and Building (LNTPB), the Office of National Mines and Strategic Industries (OMNIS), and the Ministry of Public Works (MTP) are collaborating on this testing phase, according to information provided by the ministry.
OMNIS is specifically responsible for the extraction, preparation, and supply of the 300 tons of bituminous sandstone required for the operation. Furthermore, funding from the Road Fund has been mobilized by the State to support this initial stage.
This initiative is part of a desire to develop the mineral resources of Melaky, particularly the Bemolanga bituminous sandstone, which has been identified for several years and famously referenced by the group Mahaleo in their song asking “when will Bemolanga be put to use?” Reserves of this resource are estimated at 2.85 billion barrels according to data provided by the ministry. The testing phase is intended to determine the technical conditions necessary for a potential wider use of this material in road works.
These announcements were made during a visit to Morafenobe and Maintirano by a ministry delegation led by the Minister of Public Works, Dr. Sambilason Richard Rafefimanana, at the end of last week. The delegation, transported by an Army aircraft, also visited the construction site of the RN1 Bis national road connecting Tsiroanomandidy to Maintirano, as well as the town of Maintirano. Directives were issued for the start of rehabilitation projects for ten axes in the city, which will involve the region, mayors, deputies, and other relevant stakeholders.
The use of bitumen extracted from Bemolanga in Maintirano is also being considered as part of this approach. However, the proposal must be weighed against the results of the tests conducted in Morafenobe before any potential expansion of the material’s use to other road works in the country, according to the Army General Staff, which is currently engaged in the RN1 Bis project with the military engineering corps.
Captured & Published at: 2026-09-08 11:53:34 (Madagascar Local Time EAT)
Original Source: https://www.2424.mg/infrastructures-le-gres-bitumeux-de-bemolanga-a-tester-sur-14-km-de-rue-dans-la-ville-de-morafenobe/
