By Bill W. Cooper
An investigation conducted by the Inquirer Newspaper on the condition of the Nimba to Grand Gedeh roads corridor has revealed that while the road is pliable, it still requires more work to improve its overall quality.
Our investigation comes amidst President Joseph Boakai’s promise to ensure that no car gets stuck in the mud on any major roads due to poor conditions during and after the raining season under his administration.
During our investigation, it was also established that the road is currently passable, though there are still areas that need repair and maintenance; leaving residents in total jubilation.
Connecting the different counties has been a serious challenge for past and current leaders over decades, as it continues to pose threat for inhabitants in the rural parts of the country.
In 2018, one of former President George Weah’s main quest was to connect roads specifically the 15 counties, as he also sought to raise funds for these projects which was estimated at around US$1 billion.
However, this quest and vision of the former President did not materialize due to what many attributed to the lack of funding for said projects but some efforts were made to connect a few counties under his leadership over the last six years.
Like the past administrations of former President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf and George Weah, President Joseph Boakai had always envisioned road connectivity one major priority of his ‘Rescue government.’
But during a tour by a media colleague recently, it was observed that the road corridor from Ganta to Zwedru (Nimba to Grand Gedeh Counties) showed that the road is more accessible then it was over the last five or six years.
Also, as per photos and videos evidence in our possession, parts of the road that are damaged a bit is yet still accessible, as the road was filled and compacted with red dirt.
There several machines along the road that are helping to re-condition the areas that might get messed up terribly and once the rain falls, some of those damages would be resolved.
While the Asphalt pavement continues at some point, it will be much better if rocks are being placed at those damaged areas as is often seen in Montserrado, ensuring its accessibility at all times.
Meanwhile, commending the government for the ongoing road works disclosed that those very points that have worked on was never accessible and that motorcycles could not even pass due to the condition of the road.
According to some citizens and drivers that were interviewed, it would take you a passenger sometimes two or more days just to leave from Ganta to Zwedru, thus suspending sometimes four or days on the road.
One of the cyclists, James Gaye told newsmen that they would charge passengers up LD$15,000 on a motorbike from Ganta to Zwedru and the reverse but said amount has now been reduce L$6,000 per person.
The residents in the area have further expressed their gratitude for the attention being given to the road and are hopeful that the necessary improvements will be made in the soonest possible time.
