As a licensed professional engineer with over 35 years of experience developing highway infrastructure, friends, family members, and colleagues have queried me about the proposed overhead bridge for the Tubman Boulevard corridor. I was shocked to learn about this project, and I need to gain more knowledge or information about it and its objectives.
An SOS went out about the proposed overhead bridge project. I received a Facebook message from a friend about the proposed bridge on DN—-News Liberia titled “Design of Liberia’s First Overhead Bridge.” Below is a photograph of what I received for your use as I discuss this project. Since it is not an official work, let us accept that DN—-News Liberia has an official copy.
Please note that this work does not have dimensions. It is not a design file but an artist’s projection.
Overhead Bridge Cross section and Two lanes
the American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Geometric Design Standards call for lane width to be 12 feet. Let us assume the edges of the street below and the bridge above line up. The bridge deck has four lanes, and the street below has two lanes, totaling six lanes, 6 times 12 feet, equal to 72 feet. Let us include the medium barrier wall and the two barrier walls at the edge of the bridge. Let us assume the minimum width at the bottom of the wall is 2 feet, totaling 3 times 2 feet equal to 6 feet. Excluding sidewalks, if any, the total width across the street, including the bridge, is 78 feet.
Traffic Congestion: A Pressing Issue Requiring Immediate Attention
During the evening hours, between 4 PM and 8 PM, there is a substantial influx of traffic due to staff leaving the Ministerial Complex, shoppers trying to enter or leave the available parking adjacent to Tubman Blvd. at STOP & SHOP Supermarket, and residents of the area being dropped off. This significantly disrupts the free traffic flow along Tubman Blvd., making it inconvenient for commuters trying to reach their destination.
These activities compound the traffic problem when vehicles that have stopped trying to enter the traffic flow interrupt the normal flow of vehicles with the help of the police. As vehicles drive away from the Ministerial Complex or the supermarket, other vehicles try to drop off shoppers or residents, disrupting traffic further. These disruptions contribute to traffic congestion with police-induced interference and other illegal interference called THIRD LANE, which puts motorists at risk of accidents in the lane they should be in.
An engineering problem exists, and it is unclear why it is allowed: the drop-off at the edge of the pavement at locations with no shoulder or curb. The drop-off is significant, causing motorists not to risk their vehicle’s undercarriage. Therefore, they disrupt traffic by stopping in the lane to let out passengers, which leads to traffic backup during their stops.
The biggest surprise is that signalized traffic control systems are not utilized at most intersections to control traffic, and inadequate lane markings are being replaced with police use. Police are contributing to the traffic problems at these intersections because they lack a standardized frequency of controlling traffic, like a mechanized electronic system.
The Tubman Blvd corridor, stretching from Vamoma through Catholic Junction to ELWA Junction, is currently facing severe traffic congestion during rush hours between 7:30 AM and 10:00 AM and between 4:30 PM and 8:30 PM. This is not a problem we can afford to ignore.
Our Government Solution to Address the Traffic Congestion Problem
Our government believes that constructing an overhead bridge could be a solution to the traffic congestion problem. However, we must remember that there are many ways to address this issue. What we need is a comprehensive strategy that ensures the most efficient and effective use of public funds.
While constructing an overhead bridge may seem like a straightforward solution to the traffic congestion problem, we must ask ourselves if it best uses public funds. Are we prioritizing our egos over addressing our national pressing needs? We must consider all viable alternatives before deciding.
Viable options for Consideration
Boimah Engineering Inc. believes other viable alternatives to the bridge will be cost-effective, provide a long-term design life, and are aesthetic. For example:
When these treatments are finally achieved, they will severely ease traffic congestion, making the proposed overhead bridge obsolete.
Boimah Engineering Inc. underscores the necessity for practical, cost-effective solutions with sound geometric designs and engineering decisions at its core to address the traffic problems along the Tubman Blvd corridor.
We believe spot widening in strategy critical traffic congestion locations with dedicated left or right turning along Tubman Boulevard within the discussed limits is a viable option. Prohibiting parking at selected locations will also ensure smoother traffic flow during rush hours and reduce the risk of accidents.
Enhancing Safety and Convenience: Our Proposal for a Shared Controlled Parking Lot
Adjacent to the supermarket shown in the photograph below, labeled “Proposed Parking Lot,” a parking lot can be created with a transition to the supermarket for patrons. The parking lot can be designed to accommodate the anticipated vehicles, with controls, clear markings, and lighting for safety and convenience.
This parking lot could be made available to visitors and staff of the Ministerial Complex for a fee.
The extension of Cheeseman Avenue under James Springs Airfield will involve cutting through the airport pavement connecting to the Old Road to Congo Town Back Road and constructing a bridge above the cut section for aircraft to use during taxing.
A proposed alignment connects Cheeseman Avenue under the airport to Old Rd.
A view of a similar proposed road that would go under James Springs Airfield, with a bridge for aircraft to use for taxing.
Cutting through the JS Airfield limits the landing strip so the designed aircraft can land safely. As shown below, the recommendation is to extend the landing strip into the Montserrado Basin by treating it to the required length.
Reconstruction of the Congo Town Old Road to move vehicular traffic to Tubman Boulevard.
- Proposed Crossing Construction across the Montserrado Basin
Create a crossing across the Montserrado Basin to Somalia Drive to ease traffic towards Paynesville.
Most of the Montserrado Basin is made of organic materials that can be treated with a road bridge constructed to move goods and people across it. Most of the materials to achieve this treatment are local to Liberia. The human capacity is available and will be much cheaper than bringing foreigners. Hundreds of Liberian engineers from our universities can be put to work when the resources are available.
Rumor has it that the Chinese government has committed US $30 million to the bridge construction project. Our concern is, is it a cost-effective way of spending that money? We have laid out other options that address the traffic congestion along Tubman Boulevard and improve the movement of goods and services and Liberians around metropolitan Monrovia.
We do not believe widening or spot-widening critical areas along the corridor was ever considered. Were any cost comparisons for each option to determine the most effective benefit for the US $30 million? It looks more like a political decision than an engineering one.
Though US $30 million can address the traffic congestion problems along Tubman Boulevard as proposed, our country has more pressing financial needs. Should we please someone’s ego? Should we address our national problems by performing stringy cost analysis with value engineering and utilizing our local resources to carry out national projects that will spur development, create jobs, and spur economic activities?
The way we decide to use our national funds is very disappointing. The question is, who is carrying out these engineering projections? Are the Ministry of Public Works engineers deeply involved in these concept designs, analysis, and costing? If they are not involved, then I have a problem with how we plan and execute projects. I want to ask, won’t a forty thousand United States dollar vehicle serve the same purpose as a sixty, seventy, or ninety thousand dollar vehicle? Won’t the difference between the selected vehicle and the forty thousand dollars vehicle for each vehicle be sufficient to put many Liberians to work? It is time for our government to take some austerity measures to address our national problems.
Our government’s strategy should be to create jobs for Liberians. How many professional Liberians will be involved in this project? Will their skills be developed without involvement in projects like this from inception to completion? Liberians must be utilized to develop their skills, which will be in the long-term best interest of nation-building.
The fact that a Chinese entity has already done the engineering for this project raises these questions:
I doubt it because our government officials are in the business of falsely discrediting professional Liberian engineers. As a result, their input is not sought, nor do they collaborate with professional Liberians on nation-building issues. Liberians with many years of experience are around to make contributions to these critical national decisions. This is done to cover up their ineptness and the fear of being opposed. Experienced Liberian engineers are left out who could be used to incorporate the many young engineers lavishing helpless around our country. I know this because I have taught many at the College of Engineering, University of Liberia.
We fail to realize that our own are left behind in this business because of our flawed policies. I have been home officially since 2009, and I have experienced it. If engineers out of our universities are not challenged and allowed to develop their experience, who are we expecting to develop them? Our local engineers have the potential to make a significant impact if given the opportunity. I know this because of my more than thirty years of educational and working experience in the United States of America.
Liberia has the resources needed to achieve this task except for equipment. Why is our government so dependent on others to address our problems, ignoring our own, who will require hands-on training in a competitive environment to contribute to their country? With the right leadership, many university graduates could be used to address our problems in many phases of national development.
In conclusion, this treatment along Tubman Blvd., the extension of Cheeseman Avenue, the Reconstruction of Congo Town Old Road, and the proposed crossing across the Montserrado Basin will eliminate the need for the proposed Overhead bridge. Moreover, Boimah Engineering Inc. strongly believes the Overhead Bridge will briefly address our traffic problems for the short term, plus it will create other problems under the bridge, like crimes and environmental issues.
It is highly recommended that Tubman Boulevard be spot-widened in critical areas and that other recommended treatments be performed using a completely different strategy.
