The Pont des Martyrs (Martyrs Bridge) was Bamako's first fixed crossing of the Niger River, connecting the city's historic centre on the north bank to the expanding southern suburbs. Built during the colonial period, it remains a busy crossing and the most direct route between the two halves of the city.
The bridge itself is unremarkable architecturally, but the Niger at this point is worth pausing for — wide, slow, and golden at dusk, with pirogues (dugout canoes) working the water in both directions. The south bank near the bridge end has a stretch of informal restaurants and tea stalls that come alive in the evenings. The views back toward the plateau above Bamako are good from the middle of the bridge. The newer King Fahd Bridge a kilometre downstream is less congested if you're driving.