Photo: Min. Woods (Center), Mr. Diwan (left) & Mr. Nyanin (right)

By: Nat Bayjay, nbayjay2010@gmail.com (231-77-402737)

A revival for the port city of Buchanan is underway as the damaged highway leading from the Capital to the country’s second most important, and probably second largest commercial city, is to be rehabilitated soon.

The Monrovia-Buchanan Highway is a vital highway in Liberia, which under normal and smooth road conditions takes only an hour and a half to get from Monrovia to Buchanan. But the worsening condition has forced cars to spend at least three hours on the road before reaching Buchanan, the country’s second largest seaport. Additionally, the Port City of Buchanan is the gateway to the country’s southeastern region, which comprises of Rivercess, Sinoe, River Gee, Grand Gedeh, Grand Kru and Maryland Counties.

Monday, the Minister of Public Works Samuel Kofi Woods II, at the head of the joint of Public Works Ministry—World Bank delegation toured the terrible and bumpy Monrovia-Buchanan Highway ahead of the tedious reconstruction work excepted to begin shortly on the over 90 miles of that major highway.

The joint delegation made the trip at about the time CHICO is on the verge of beginning rehabilitation works of the Cotton Tree-Bokay Town Highway, which was the Public Works Minster’s first major project. President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf performed the groundbreaking ceremony when Woods was confirmed in May. CHICO is the Chinese company that was awarded the contract by the Liberian Government.

The visiting Regional Country Directory of the World Bank, Ishac Diwan, who was guided on the tour by the Public Works team, expressed a high level of satisfaction over the level of work done so far.

The stretch of road that links Bokay Town to Buchanan is the largest portion of the Monrovia-Buchanan Highway and is the most terrible portion of the highway. Diwan promised that the next time an official visit is made on that road, the road will be paved.

The Country Directory said, “Perhaps this is your last bad trip on this road. It will be ready in about 18 months.” He further stated, “I am really happy at what I saw. I mean I saw some accomplishments.”

Meanwhile, the World Bank’s Country Manager for Liberia, Ohene Owusu Nyanin, broke the news of his entity’s initial contribution of US $14 million towards the Bokay Town-Buchanan Highway.

The assessment of the highway also included the inspections of several deteriorating bridges and other damaged infrastructures along the Highway.

At the Bokay Town Bridge, the Public Works Minister and team made a brief stop after which the bridge was inspected and earmarked as one of the major priorities to be undertaken along the route.

The Bokay Town Bridge, now a billet bridge, was destroyed by the retreating soldiers of ex-rebel leader Charles Taylor’s National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL) in 1992 in an attempt to deny the then advancing troops of the regional West African Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) from reaching the port city of Buchanan. ECOMOG had since constructed two billet bridges, including the Bokay Town Bridge, along the highway.

At the Road Maintenance Training Center (RMTC) otherwise referred to as Camp Mechlin or German Camp, situated a few miles away from Buchanan, Min. Woods was able to convince the visiting World Bank official to support the rehabilitation of the damaged center that once served as a technical institution for the training of Public Works technicians.

The rehabilitation of the Monrovia-Buchanan Highway will perhaps be the biggest relief in the traveling sector of post-war Liberia as it will definitely bring relief to thousands of southeastern Liberians who are most often trapped in their counties due to bad road conditions, especially during the rainy season.

Even better for them will be the fact that there will be a shorter route to Monrovia via Buchanan other than having to travel further north into Nimba County before coming down to the Central county of Bong in a bid to reach the Capital.

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