Ministry of Works and Public Assets (MWPA) in collaboration with Sierra Leone Roads Authority (SLRA), on Thursday 15th April, 2021 undertook on site visit in inspecting all roads project in the Western Area that the SLPP is embarking on.
Leading the inspection is the Minister of Works and Public Assets, Mr. Peter Bayuku Konteh, Deputy Minister, Hon. Philip Tetema Tondeneh, Director General of SLRA, Engineer Amara Jambai Kanneh and a host of Senior Engineers from SLRA.
The inspection tour started in the Waterloo township, where the Gento Group is constructing the township roads, and to the Hillside Bypass Road which is being constructed by CSE, and the Limkokwing-Regent Road which is being reconstructed by Gento Group.
The Leicester-Berry Street Road is being constructed by the China Railway International Group (CRIG), and the Funkia-Goderich Road is being constructed by CSE.
Furniture Junction-Grafton Road is being constructed by China Railway Seventh Group (CRSG), Lower Sheriff Drive is being done by SECON Construction (SL) Limited and the Lumley-Tokeh Road is done by CSE, among other road projects that were inspected.
Minister Konteh said most of the roads that were inspected will be completed in December 2021.
According to him, President Julius Maada Bio’s government has three main things that it looks for when it comes to the construction of roads, citing that they include: quality roads, value for money, and timely implementation.
“I’m satisfied with the quality of work that I have seen so far. The various contractors have assured me that they will complete within the stipulated timeframe. They have told me that they are faced with challenges of encroachers, who are in the habit of constructing dwelling houses on the SLRA’s right-of-way, and also land for borrow-pits so as to set up quarries. Those concerns will surely be addressed,” he said.
The Director General of SLRA, Engineer Amara Jambai Kanneh, expressed his satisfaction over the quality of work that has been done by the contractors.
He said the contractors’ laboratory tests conformed to SLRA’s specification and that the earth works that have been done will be covered.
At the Hillside Bypass Road, CSE’s Project Manager, Mohamed Sow, said earth work, embarkment protection and retaining walls, which are the most difficult work in road construction, are 80% complete.
He assured the Ministry of Work and SLRA that the construction work will be done by December 2021.
Liang Jinxian, CRIG’s Project Manager, said the Leicester-Berry Street Road is a 2.173-kilometer road with eight cross-transverse rectangular drain, two important crossings-intersections and no bridge.
Liang said the ongoing activities include site clearing, excavation of side drains, formwork, and drainage construction, noting that the acquisition of land for borrow-pit is urgently needed by the contractor
The Works Minister, who was accompanied by the media and other stakeholders, inspected road projects that are being undertaken by the China Railway International Group (CRIG), CSE, SECON Construction (SL) Limited and the Gento Group.
