By: Frank P. Martin
MONROVIA: The Minister of Public Works, Roland Giddings, has admitted to the unbearable and poor road network across the country, making specific reference to the Vai Town to Logan Town corridor that is considered death trip by many commuters and drivers.
The bad road corridor begins from Gabriel Tucker Bridge to the St. Paul Bridge, is about 9km, according an estimate by a road expert.
The Public Works Minister who spoke via State radio, ELBC on Monday September 16, 2024, attributed the bad road conditions to the former regime’s failure to activate road maintenance strategies but instead was focused on building new roads.
Roland Giddings: “They have maintenance problems over the last six years. From Gabriel Tucker Bridge to Freeport there was no maintenance. There was neglect of maintenance over the last six years. There was no drainage cleaning.”
The Public Works Minister said there is a road fund component of the National Road Fund which constitutes 60%, exclusively for maintenance of major roads across the nation but over the past six years under former government, this initiative didn’t work, leading to the damage of major roads in Monrovia.
“The road fund has component which is 60% of the fund goes to road maintenance. The past administration didn’t focus on road maintenance but they only focused on building new roads and signing new contracts. I don’t know why? We took over in February and the budget passed in May of this year and the rain started in June. Nothing you can do during rainy season to construct better roads.
We are appealing to the citizens that dry season is coming, we will deal with the road problems in the city of the Monrovia. I drive on these roads and I know what our people are going through but the dry season we will deal this problem,” Minister Giddings added.
The Vai Town-Duala road on the Bushrod Island has become almost impassible, traffic-prone and dangerous for both passengers and drivers due to its bad condition.
Despite reports by the Boakai-led administration that roads in rural parts of the country are being reconditioned, road users and residents of the Via Town- Duala corridor continue to decry the bad condition of the road.
The Vai Town-Duala route is considered the nation’s commercial hub with several vehicles, including trucks using the road for transportation of basic commodities, especially petroleum products, rice and among others.
Major government’s entities, including the National Port Authority (NPA), Liberia Petroleum Refinery Company (LPRC), National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority, etc. are all situated along the deplorable road which poses dangers to humans, especially during raining days and nights.
Road users and residents who spoke to our reporter recently expressed concern and frustration about the deplorable condition of the road and raised safety issues, complaining that the heavy down pour of rain has added a ‘salt-to-injury’ as the government is yet to positively intervene.
Recent torrential rainfalls in Monrovia and its immediate environs caused coastal and river basin flooding. The situation affected hundreds of communities around the city.
