Koroma’s Diary: Infrastructure in his diary
Sorry to divert you a bit to this topic. I did promise to take you through President Koroma’s wholesome involvement in the electricity deal that paves way to what we now call a regular power supply system in the country. I think there is wholesome deficit in the area of infrastructure, which I need to unveil in President Koroma’s profile.
Today the diary opens a quote in President Koroma’s 2009 Trade and Investment Forum in London with potential investors: “…the ability to move people, goods and machinery is integral to economic development; we have embarked on one of the most ambitious road-building programs in our history, – connecting Sierra Leone’s major cities to each other, as well as to neighboring countries. And because rural communities will be able to use those highways if they cannot reach them, we are also building 2000 Kilometers of feeder roads.”
This statement hits a target, following the government’s spearhead completion of a 164km Masiaka-Bo highway in March of 2010, – project funded by the European Union (EU) and the government of Sierra Leone.
Another 35km Matotoka highway road project was commenced in March of 2008 and completed in October of 2009, -funded by the World Bank and the Government of Sierra Leone. The 65km Bo-Kenema highway was commenced in March of 2008 and completed in February of 2010.
Construction of the Tokeh-Lumley’s 21.2km road is on course even though CSE has to replace the original contractor, Burhan. The first 9km stretch of the road, from Lumley is now transformed into four lanes.
The 86km Second Phase of the Freetown Conakry Highway is ongoing. Construction of the 87km Kenema-Pendembu section of the Kenema Kailahun highway was also commenced later in 2011 to be completed next year, in 2013.
People affected by these construction works have been paid hundreds of millions of Leones.
Reconstruction of the 62km Port Loko-Lungi road is underway following its evaluation and award of contract.
Feasibility studies and detailed engineering designs have been completed for the construction of a 97km Bandajuma-Mano River Bridge highway.
Construction of the 4.2km Hillside Pademba road/Blackhall Road has commenced, and people affected by its construction are being compensated.
The 5km Wilkinson road project is being executed and the rehabilitation of 30km of roads within the Freetown municipality was awarded to CSE in March of 2010 and was supposed to have been completed by the middle of 2011.
Construction of Roads in all Provincial Towns
The Government of Sierra Leone under the leadership of Ernest Bai Koroma enhanced funds for the rehabilitation of roads in all provincial cities, headquarter towns and a number of other provincial towns. Work has already commenced on the roads in Bo, Kenema, Makeni and Magburaka by the contractor Salcost. These roads were supposed to have been completed before the end of 2011. Contracts have also been awarded for the rehabilitation of roads in Port Loko and Kambia. Design and tendering for the rehabilitation of roads in Koidu, Kailahun, Moyamba, Kabala, Bonthe and Pujehun are commencing.
A total of 555km feeder roads in Bombali, Tonkolili, Kailahun, and Kono have been completed. Over 780km of feeder roads all over the country are also being rehabilitated through the Rural and Private Sector Development Project and the Rehabilitation & Community-Based Poverty Reduction Project (RCBPRP).
A further 1305km of Feeder roads are being constructed in Port Loko, Kambia, Pujehun, Kenema, Bonthe, Kailahun, Kono, and Koinadugu through the Rural Roads Project, Infrastructural development Project and the Multinational NERICA Dissemination Project (MNDP)
Abu Bakarr Sulaiman Tarawally
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