By Lamin Kujabi
The Minister of Transport, Works and Infrastructure Ebrima Sillah has recently led a team of stakeholders to the President of the Republic, His Excellency Adama Barrow, to brief him about the state of the ongoing roads infrastructural development across the country. Aside the briefing, the meeting discussed the resource mobilisation efforts for the for 2024 planned activities.
The Minister informed that construction of the Hakalang road has gone over 70% now and that the new target of completion from December 2023 to January 2024. “Roads in Kaur area in Central River Region (CRR) north in the plot two areas in North Bank are now complete. They are now doing road lining; hopefully by 30th September or 1st October 2024 we will finally inaugurate that road network in CRR”.
He went on: “Within the rural area we have a number of roads, such as the Kiang East road which is 85kms, Badibu, Kerewan to Njawara have attained a significant level of progress and at the end of the rainy season we will do the sealing”.
Minister Sillah acknowledged that there are some challenges. However, he believes that with the discussions with the President and National Road Authority officials they will put in place new measures and mechanisms to speed up the work on the 50 km OIC roads.
About the Bertil Harding road, the Works Minister said it is at advanced stage; that progress of the work in the first phase of the project - from the Airport Junction to Senegambia - is almost about 67% complete. He went on to explain that the contractor has started work at the Kairaba Avenue Traffic Light where there is going to be an overpass.
“We also discussed the issue of finance and the Ministry of Finance has recommitted to work with my ministry and NRA to see that we fulfill the president’s vision and agenda of constructing at least 1,200km within five years,” he concluded.