The Roberts International Airport Highway risks being cut off from Monrovia due to the heavy downpour of rain, which has begun early and is undermining the road.
As a result of the delay in the road construction project, the highway, having been docked at both sides by the contractors, is experiencing a gradual overflow of water from both ends and could risk complete overflow and being cut off if the rain maintains its intensification in the coming days, weeks and months.
Contractors presently working on the road project have docked both ends, leaving the narrow pavement portion in the middle, which is also being undermine by the rain and swamp water.
Some of the major portions of the RIA road are surrounded by swamp and have over the years experienced overflow.
The troubling situation, if not addressed urgently, will create serious challenge for the people, especially foreign and local travelers, including development partners.
According to the government’s initial plan during the ground breaking ceremony, the first phase of the RIA road project should have been in its advanced stage by now, but due to some unexplained reasons the project is yet to achieve any tangible advancement, even though coverts have been constructed in some areas along the road.
In three phases, the road project should have begun from RIA to the Foday Town bridge, phase one, while phase two included the construction of the Foday Town bridge, which is expected to have a toll. The final phase is from Foday Town bridge to the ELWA intersection.
According to the initial plan of the road project, by the end of 2023 the project should have been completed or should have achieved tremendous progress, contrary to the current progress.
Even though the project has begun, the digging of both sides, which has led to overflow, is gradually affecting the smooth movement of people, including vehicles, and could be a contributing factor to preventable road accident.
Additionally, the on-going road construction work from the ELWA end is also experiencing the same challenge, as traffic block and coerced community detour are now the order of the day. Described as bad road medicine, President George Weah has been praised by many for the construction of many feeder roads, including other major roads across the country, but it appears like the strategic and international RIA highway road project, which he used over the period, is a huge challenge for him but needs to be addressed for the betterment of the country.