By Decontee M. Wesseh & Chiedi E. Nyenmoh
MONROVIA, April 2 (LINA) – In an effort to increase awareness on the maintenance of roads and bridges across the country, the Ministry of Public Works (MPW) in collaboration with the Liberia News Agency (LINA) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft fur International Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) on Tuesday organized a one-day workshop for journalists.
Speaking Tuesday during the workshop at the Ministry of Information conference room, the Advisor for Capacity Development in the Transport Sector at GIZ, Abdul Mansaray urged journalists to properly and accurately disseminate information on how citizens should take advantage of maintaining the roads that are being built by foreign investors and the government.
Mansaray explained that road maintenance is the ongoing upkeep of a road that is necessary to retain and expand the lifespan, adding that « neglecting maintenance can result to rapid deterioration of the roads. »
He pointed out that it is impossible to build and use roads without maintaining them because in order to extend the lifespan and ensure public safety, roads and bridges need to be well taken care of by stakeholders.
For his part, the Chief Engineer at MPW, Archie B. Konwaye, said road maintenance is very important because it reduces cost of operating vehicles, increases economic growth, lower life-cycle cost, and improve social development.
Konwaye pointed out that the lack of systematic maintenance of roads and bridges can result in blockage of drainages and culverts, destruction of roads, poor level of serviceability and the collapsing of bridges.
Recently the GIZ signed a financial agreement of US$300,000 with the MPW to finance five small roads and bridge maintenance projects in Monrovia.
The amount given is being used for administration, supervision and works for routine maintenance of Caldwell-Louisiana road, covering 12km, Clara Town-Jamaica Road 2.7km, Neezoe-Parker Paint-Zayzay Community 8.4km, GSA Road 9.5km, A.B Tolbert Road 8.4km and the St Paul Bridge.
LINA DMW/CEN/CBN/PTK