By Raine Golegio:
Liberia through the Ministry of Public Works on Tuesday, August 03, 2021 signed a contractual agreement with a Chinese firm, CHICO valued at USD $15.6 Million Dollars for the pavement of the Fish Town-Kelipo Corridor Road.
The Project is Phase II, Lot 1 of the Mano River Union Road Development and Transport Facilitation Programme (MRU/RDTFP).
Pursuant to the Framework Document: ” The Fish Town to Kelipo Road Section is a part of a regional programme between Liberia and Côte d’Ivoire to develop and pave a total of 67.1 km of road linking the South-eastern Liberia and western part of Cote D’Ivoire which includes (i) Development of 20 km road from Fish Town to Kelipo (River Gee County in Liberia) and (ii) Development of 47.1 km from Sanniquellie to Loguatuo of Liberia, up to the Border Town of Gbeunta in Cote D’Ivoire (which is ongoing).”
Acting Public Works Minister, Ruth Coker-Collins intimated that the programme will benefit road users, transporters, farmers, the programme area population of about 790, 000 inhabitants in both Fish Town and the Sanniquellie to Loguatuo (47.1km) Road Section, with emphasis on disadvantaged groups such as women and children who constitute the majority.
According to her, the Signing for the extension of pavement works leading to Grand Gedeh County is a giant step towards roads connectivity in the Southeastern part of the country ( Liberia).
She lauded the African Development Bank for its continued support to the Road Sector, and reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to improving the standard of living in Liberia through the development of roads.
For his part, the Coordinator of the African Development Bank Funded Road Projects in Liberia, Kesselly Rawlings recounted the Bank’s interest in the development of the country’s Infrastructure Sector, and said the Project has an economic potential to create about 800 formal and informal jobs, especially in agriculture; thereby improving road transport connectivity as a strategy to address and minimize fragility across Mano River Union Countries.
The Fish Town – Kelipo Road Project is expected to last for Thirty Six Months, with a defect liability period of twelve months.