ArcelorMittal Liberia has completed the repair of an important bridge situated on the outskirts of Sanniquellie, Nimba County, entering the town of Sehyikimpa with routes leading to the border with the Ivory Coast, on one hand, and Yekepa on the other.
Prior to ArcelorMittal’s intervention, the road was becoming impassable due to the worsening state of the bridge.
In most instances, commercial vehicles, including loaded trucks and lowbed carrying earth-moving equipment, had to cross downstream to get on the main road, avoiding the bridge because of its poor state.
The heavy downpour of rain has further worsened the situation, which made the repair of the bridge a top priority and an emergency.
CSE, the Senegalese road construction company contracted by the Government of Liberia (GOL), with funding of USD $ 40 million from ArcelorMittal, to carry out the road construction from Ganta to Yekepa, is yet to reach the segment beyond Sanniquellie.
On Monday, June 26, 2022 the management of ArcelorMittal Liberia dispatched a team of engineers to initiate a swift intervention by reconditioning and reinforcing braces and beams of the bridge.
According to AML Health and Safety Officer, Francis Blamo, I-beams over the stream are still in good condition and the new ones were added to make the bridge more guaranteed, while angle bars were also used to uphold the bridge.
The bridge, originally built with wood, was reconditioned in 2014 by AML using steel beams, after some protesting residents had set it ablaze.
Blamo said the intervention on the bridge is another way of demonstrating AML’s commitment to safety and promoting national and community development.
Meanwhile, commuters and residents of Nimba have hailed ArcelorMittal Liberia for the intervention, terming it timely and in the right direction.
“This is worth commending, and, as always, ArcelorMittal is doing its best for us here,” said Aleen Duo, a taxi driver plying the route.
Duo called on the government to ensure that the on-going pavement of the Ganta-Sanniquellie road is done speedily to ease the burden on commuters.