Tokyo’s Visit Pays Off For GoL
-Phase 2 Of Somalia Drive Project Kicks Off
The government of Liberia through the Ministry of Public Works and its Japanese counterparts on Friday, May 4, 2018 kicked off a Pre-Construction Quality Control (CQC) Meeting aimed at jumpstarting physical work on Phase 2 of Somalia Drive in Monrovia.
The kick-off meeting comes barely 6 weeks after a team of Public Works officials returned from Japan, Tokyo, where they have gone to participate in the opening of bid for the reconstruction of Phase of 2 of Somalia Drive.
The meeting took place in the large conference room of the Ministry of Public works, and was attended by officials of the Ministry, Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC), representatives from Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Katahira & Engineers International (KEI-Consultant) and Dai Nippon Construction (DNC-Contractor).
In a special remarks, Public Works Minister Mobutu Nyenpan thanked the government and people of Japan for their contribution towards the reconstruction program of Liberia.
He pledged the Ministry’s unflinching support to the project, noting, we are committed to executing every duty and responsibility as a government in realizing this project.
“As government, we remain committed to every duty and responsibility in achieving this project”, he stressed.
The middle age Public Works Minister said, his team was pleased with the quality of work done on phase 1 of the project.
He however cautioned both teams to review past experiences from the first project so as to take corrective measures during implementation of phase 2.
Meanwhile, Minister Nyenpan wants relationship between Liberia and Japan to go beyond the construction of Somalia Drive, lamenting, Liberia is seriously challenged with over 10,000 kilometer of unpaved road.
Hence, he said he hopes their relationship will not end with the reconstruction of Somalia drive.
Expansion of Somalia Drive began 3 years ago with the construction of additional two lanes (Phase 1) to accommodate the huge traffic from both end of the freeway.
Phase 2 of the project entails the reconstruction of the existing two lanes which has outlived its usefulness. When completed, the Somalia Driver will be four lanes. The road, which linked two important commercial hubs of Freeport and Redlight has been an area of traffic congestion much to the displeasure of residents of Gardnersville and adjacent communities.
Phase 2 of the project will see the construction of combined road furniture including traffic and street lights, and is expected to last for about 36 months upon commencement of earth work.
Somali Drive road projects is a bilateral funding agreement entered into by the Government of Liberia and Japan 5 years ago as part of the Japanese support to Liberia.
