12 Major Highways Under Full Rehab
By Paul M. Kanneh
The government has embarked on the rehabilitation of 12 major highways across the country. The rehabilitation of the 12 highways is in line with President Boakai’s promise to keep all major highways pliable year-round. The 12 major highways constitute about 742.5 kilometers, a source at the Ministry of hinted.
Major road corridors under consideration include Salayea-Voinjama (115km by CHICO), Voinjama-Foya (63km by SSF), Foya-Mendikorma (16km by SSF), Tapita-Zwedry (40km by CICO), Zwedru-Karnweakan (115km by CHICO), Barclayville-Pleebo (75km by SSF), Buchanan-ITI (105km), and Buchanan-Saturday Town (30km by Robust Group of Companies). Others are Saturday Town-Cestos Junction (35km) by Agency for Rural Development & Maintenance Services), Cestos Junction-ITI (40km by Mende Construction Company), ITI-Greenville (95km by West Africa Construction Company), Brewerville-Gboae (44.5km by Geoskope Limited and Gboae-Bopolu (44km by BK Enterprise).
The contracts were awarded based on the financial and technical capacities of the construction companies. Meaning that the bigger and experienced the company is, the bigger the size of the contract it gets. Additionally, the contracts were awarded in line with the Contractor Classification and Certification System (CCCS) set up at the Ministry of Public Works with support from GIZ. The objective of the CCCS is to maximize the economics of skills and efficiency in the public works procurement process and obtain the best value for public money for transport and social infrastructures by pre-qualifying construction contractors in line with standards.
The financial value of the road contracts is estimated at 22,389,595.13. The source of the funding is the Government of Liberia through the collection of local revenues. The implementation period is between 1-2 years, depending on the distance. All contractors were pre-qualified with technical and financial capacities and were already mobilized in those places where the road construction is taking place. A Senior Engineer of the Ministry of Public Works says the construction includes road suffice grading, deed-shading, draining construction, and culvert repair, ensuring the gravels are fully compacted.
Other specifications or designs include a camber of about 2-6%. According to road engineers, road clambering ensures the construction of proper drainage of water from the center of the road, as well as ensures safety and comfort for vehicles and pedestrians. The significance of highlighting the road designs/specifications is intended to defuse the argument from political engineers that the roads being rehabilitated are substandard. With these specifications, each of the roads is expected to last for about 3 years with regular maintenance. That means every county’s capital city will be accessible for the next 3 years.
Unhindered road access enhances monitoring of schools, gender-based violence, illegal extraction of natural resources, mainly illegal logging and mining, and trading of illicit drugs along the various borderlines. It also enhances security operations in the country and brings loved ones’ closer. A good road means that “cars and goods will move freely and faster. It means that traveling time and traveling costs will be reduced. It also means that people’s health will improve because they won’t travel on a bumpy and almost impassable road for several hours and days. It means that drivers won’t take their cars for repair after every trip. It means that farmers will be motivated to produce more because they now have easy access to the market in Monrovia via a pliable road. It means rural communities can easily integrate and/or connect with urban communities. It means that value has been added to socioeconomic activities. It also means that prices will fall” (Martin K.N. Kollie/04/19-2024).