Voinjama-Kolahun Road Takes Shape
-Traveling Time Reduces To 45 Minutes
Popularly known to be among bad roads in the country for the last 3-years, the Voinjama to Kolahun Highway has taken a satisfactory shape for vehicular and other motorists’ movement due to ongoing rehabilitation work under the Government of Liberia road maintenance program.
The much anticipated intervention has not only shaped the important road link, but has also significantly reduced travelling times and cost from 2-3 hours to 45 minutes depending on the type of vehicle and the skill of the driver.
Normally costing passengers nearly L$1,000 as transportation fare on motorcycle from Voinjama to Kolahun, the cost of transportation has now been reduced to L$350 and L$400.
The Voinjama-Kolahun road connects Liberia with the once famous Koindu market in Sierra Leone as well as “Kpekaidu” in Guinea. In addition to connecting Liberia to neighboring countries, the road links Monrovia to a major commercial and agriculture belts of Kolahun,
Foyia, Lukambeh, Vahun and Wanhassa Districts.
What this means is that commercial activities are expected to increase in that part of the country with the unhindered supply of local goods and services to urban areas. Both passengers and commercial drivers have described the intervention as a total relief of what they term as travelling difficulties experienced by them over the years.
“My name is Sangai. I am so happy for this work because, we will not suffer again like before”, a lady returning from her farm near Kolahun said.
“As for me, I just want to tell the government thank you and they must just keep the machine them on the road so the road can’t spoil again”, another resident of Kolahun identified only as Kpehe pleaded with the government.
Johnson Arma, a driver who regularly commutes the road from Monrovia said, although he has not focused on the driving time from Kolahun to Voinjama, he was convinced that there is reduction in the distance from the usual 2 hours in car to 45 minutes.
“I cannot tell you the exact time because my focus is only on from Kolahun to Monrovia. But I am sure the time has reduced to somewhere between 30-45 minutes from Voinjama to Kolahun’, he disclosed.
Kolahun-Voinjama road hosts the infamous Kanbolahun hill. The hill is a place noted for fatal accident. 3-years ago, citizens of Kolahun District lost their Chief Zoe in a car accident on the same hill. In addition, countless numbers of fatal accidents have occurred on the Knbolahun hill.
Well, as the saying goes, “99 days for rouge and one day for master, and that nothing last forever”. It is interesting to note that the narration about the infamous Kanbolahun hill has now changed from infamous to famous due to intervention by the SSF Construction Company, a company contracted by Public works to rehabilitate the Voinjama-Kolahun road.
To put it better, the hill has finally bow to the power of yellow machines with a considerable cut down in shape much to the delight of travelers and drivers.
Liberian Engineering standard puts the durability of laterite roads without routine maintenance to at least 2 rainy seasons or at most 3 rainy seasons, depending on the locality, after which fresh rehabilitation works is started again.
But it appears that the suffering of travelers is nearing an end; as nationwide road maintenance exercise takes center stage on the agenda of the current Public Works team headed by former Sinoe County Senator, Mobutu Nyenpan.
Appearing for hearings before the Senate Committee on Public Works, on Thursday, February 15, 2018, Minister Nyenpan said, his administration would work to ensure it creates access on major highways across the country.
“We will make sure that all major highways are passable come this rainy season,” the Public Works Minister pledged.
