By Our Staff |
In an effect to ease the burden of travel along the Bushrod Island corridor as well as the Government of Liberia’s commitment to construct and rehabilitate more roads in the country, a Joint Road Inspection team comprising the Minister of State for Presidential Affairs, Nathaniel McGill, Finance and Development Planning Minister, Samuel Tweah and Public Works Minister Mobutu Nyepan, on Thursday, 4 June 2020 inspected ongoing rehabilitation and maintenance works along the road.
Prior to the tour by the three high-profile Government Ministers, scores of drivers and commuters plying the Bushrod Island road, outside Monrovia speaking to journalists had expressed severe difficulties and hardship due to the ongoing rehabilitation works on the road by the Ministry of Public Works.
The media have reported since the deplorable Bushrod Island thoroughfare, drivers of commercial and private vehicles as well as tricycles and bike riders have been seen in long traffic from Jamaica Road to Vai Town – a situation that at most time prompt bulk of the vehicle occupants to abandon the compulsory nose mask wearing put in place to curb the spread of the Coronavirus in Liberia.
Also numerous potholes that are visible at the National Port Authority (NPA) which is the gateway to the country’s economy, and the Liberia Petroleum Refining Company (LPRC) continue to exacerbate traffic congestion on the Bushrod Island.
It is against this backdrop the three Ministers; McGill, Tweah and Nyepan, took up the initiative to inspect the project and assess progress that is being made so as to ease the burden of travel of people residing there. The inspection began at the Gabriel Tucker Bridge on Johnson Street onto the Liberia Petroleum Refining Company and leading to the Belimah stretch directly opposite the Freeport of Monrovia. The Minister also inspected Duala Market section that leads to St Paul River Bridge as well as the ongoing Banjor road pavement project in Virginia.
The tour was guided by Public Works Minister Mobutu Nyepan along with his lieutenants, a team of engineers, and contractors who are undertaking the road rehab and maintenance of the Bushrod Island corridor. Also present was Representative Zoe Pennue of the House Committee on Public Works.
The project is being funded by the Government of Liberia through the National Road Fund. Speaking to journalists during the tour, Public Works Minister Nyepan reiterated serious challenges Liberia faces with its roads, but despite those enormous difficulties, he averred the Government has identified a number of key roads that have economic impact, and the Bushrod Island corridor is one of those; and despite the economic challenges amid the COVID-19, the Weah administration has attached great importance to the completion of the road, that is why the Ministers of State and Finance were part of the joint inspection team. Minister Nyepan thanked the engineers for their hard work and President George Weah for his administration’s support given the Ministry to undertake the project on time.
On his part, Presidential Affairs Minister McGill disclosed that President Weah had terribly been disturbed by the deplorable condition of the Bushrod Island corridor road, and that is why he instructed them – Ministers Tweah, Nyepan and himself – to inspect and assess the work being done to ease travel on Bushrod Island. He noted the construction of new roads and rehabilitation of existing roads are key priorities of President Weah. McGill lauded residents of Bushrod Island and all users of the corridor for their patience as Government is exerting every effort financially to have the road rehabilitated on time. He then assured that there will be changes in the lives of residents of Bushrod Island when the rehab works are completed.
It can be recalled the Weah administration has made road construction, rehabilitation and maintenance of roads as a top priority in its Pro-Poor Agenda and pundits believe the rehabilitation of such a key road will boost economic activities in the country.
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