The three years of construction and living in Mayombe will be unforgettable for each Chinese member of the project team.

"Many people think it's impossible to build a road in Mayombe, but I am intending to announce that we can do it," Denis Sassou-Nguesso, president of the Republic of Congo, said when inspecting the road construction.

The second phase of the project is now under way. CSCEC is planning to hire more local people, as an effort to provide more job opportunities and boost local residents' salaries, CSCEC said.

The first phase of the project employed as many as 4,000 local people, and the second phase also hired 3,000 local employees, lifting the local employment rate to a record high.

"The welfare that CSCEC provides to local workers is unprecedented," a local government official said.

CSCEC built new dormitory, lavatories, trade markets and restaurants tailored to local people.

The State-run construction group also offered local people training in management systems, safety, technical regulations, work procedures, and reward and punishment systems, which could promote professional skills and comprehensive qualities of local workers quickly.

To guarantee local workers' health, CSCEC established three medical clinics on the construction lines and continually held medical training for local workers' relatives.

To supply local people with drinking water, CSCEC management set up a pipeline in their encampment to furnish the local people with clean underground water for free.

Since 2010, CSCEC has eased the water shortage for more than 80 villages within the area, which were strongly welcomed by local residents.

The CSCEC management team also bought textbooks, exercise books, small blackboards, ballpoint pens, pencils, soccers, file boxes and other necessities for local primary schools.

They made renovations to the existing buildings and facilities, which primarily improved children's studying conditions.

baochang@chinadaily.com.cn