The road from Timbukto to Gao does not cross the Niger. You will always be north of the river.
The photos of donncha correspond with what I have been told about that road (in December 07). This road should be no big problem on a bike and was easy in a Landcruiser.
To cross the Niger from/to Timbuktu there is a ferry about 15km south of Timbuktu (tar road until the port). The crossing takes more than an hour, because the Niger is wide and maeandering in this area. We took the last ferry southwards at 16h00. I would estimate that there are ca. 2-3 crossings each way per day.
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