GBARNGA/SALAYEA — President Joseph Boakai has dedicated the completed 81-kilometer Gbarnga–Salayea Road upgrading project while breaking ground for a new road project. The dedication of the Gbarnga–Salayea corridor brought together senior government officials, members of the Legislature, local government authorities, traditional leaders, development partners, representatives of the diplomatic corps, international financial institutions, contractors, engineers, and residents from Bong and Lofa Counties in what was described as a historic milestone in the country’s road infrastructure development.
The completed road forms a major section of the wider Gbarnga–Voinjama–Mendikorma corridor and links communities in Bong County with Salayea in Lofa County, while also improving access toward the Guinea border and strengthening the movement of people, goods, and services across the region.
President Boakai’s dedication of the road and ground-breaking for a new road project underscore the government’s stated commitment to expanding the country’s road network and ensuring that major infrastructure investments translate into tangible economic and social benefits for citizens.
Speaking at the occasion, President Boakai said the completion of the Gbarnga–Salayea Road represents more than the construction of a physical roadway, describing it as an important investment in the future of Liberia and a critical link connecting communities, farmers, businesses, students, health facilities, and families across Bong and Lofa Counties.
The President said the road would help open new economic opportunities for communities along the corridor by reducing travel difficulties and improving access to markets, while also making it easier for farmers to transport agricultural products, including rice, cocoa, coffee, vegetables, and other commodities, to major commercial centers.
President Boakai further emphasized that the road would strengthen Liberia’s internal connectivity and contribute to regional integration by improving movement toward border communities and facilitating trade with neighboring countries.
He said his administration remains committed to ensuring that roads constructed with public resources and support from development partners are properly completed, maintained, and protected so that citizens can enjoy the full benefits of the investments made in the country’s infrastructure.
The President also said the government recognizes the difficulties citizens experienced during the prolonged construction period and the various suspensions that affected the project, but noted that the completion of the road demonstrates what can be achieved when the government, development partners, contractors, and local communities remain committed to a common national objective.
President Boakai said the road should now serve as a catalyst for increased economic activity along the corridor and urged citizens, communities, and road users to take ownership of the infrastructure by protecting it from abuse and ensuring that activities along the roadway do not undermine its long-term sustainability.
He said the government will continue to prioritize infrastructure projects that connect previously isolated communities, improve access to essential services, and create an enabling environment for private-sector investment and economic growth.
In another major development at the ceremony, President Boakai broke ground for a new road project, signalling the beginning of another phase in the government’s effort to improve Liberia’s road infrastructure and expand reliable transportation networks across the country.
The ground-breaking ceremony was presented as a continuation of the administration’s broader infrastructure agenda, with the President stressing the importance of developing roads that can withstand Liberia’s climatic conditions, support economic activities, and provide safe and dependable transportation for citizens throughout the year.
The President said the government’s road development strategy is intended to ensure that infrastructure investments are not concentrated only in major urban centers, but also reach rural communities where poor road conditions have historically limited economic opportunities and access to basic services.
President Boakai said improved roads are essential to national development because they reduce travel time, lower transportation costs, connect farmers to markets, facilitate access to schools and health facilities, and strengthen social and economic ties between communities.
He said the dedication of the Gbarnga–Salayea Road should therefore be viewed as part of a broader national effort to build a Liberia where citizens can move freely and safely, while businesses can operate more efficiently and communities can participate more fully in the national economy.
The President called on the Ministry of Public Works and all relevant stakeholders to maintain close supervision of ongoing and future road projects to ensure that contractors adhere to agreed standards, timelines, and contractual obligations.
He further called on citizens to support national infrastructure development by protecting public roads and other government assets, while encouraging communities to work with authorities to address challenges that may threaten the durability and effectiveness of newly constructed infrastructure.
Delivering the project overview and statement on behalf of the Ministry of Public Works, the Minister of Public Works described the dedication as a historic occasion and said the completed Gbarnga–Salayea Road had, for nearly a decade, represented the hopes and expectations of people in Bong and Lofa Counties for safer, faster, and more reliable connectivity.
The Minister said the 81-kilometer corridor is part of the Gbarnga–Voinjama–Mendikorma road project and connects Gbarnga in Bong County to Salayea in Lofa County, while providing a critical link to the rest of Liberia and the wider sub region.
According to the Minister, the works contract was awarded to China Henan International Cooperation Group following the issuance of a Letter of Acceptance in December 2017, with the works contract subsequently signed in December of the same year.
The Minister said mobilization commenced in January 2018, while effective implementation began in June 2018 under an original contract period of 36 months, with an initial completion date set for May 2021.
He acknowledged that the project encountered significant challenges that affected its original completion schedule and resulted in extensions that pushed the project several years beyond its initial delivery timeline.
The Minister said design review, preparation of bidding documents, and construction supervision were undertaken by SaudConsult in collaboration with TSC Engineering and Construction Consultants, while the Ministry of Public Works Infrastructure and Implementation Unit served as the implementing authority responsible for coordinating oversight among the government, consultant, and contractor.
He disclosed that, as of July 2026, the project had been under implementation for approximately 99 months, with the original 36-month contract period extended because of two major suspensions of works.
The Minister said the first suspension occurred between July 2020 and February 2021, while the second and more prolonged suspension lasted from October 2023 until August 2025, during which the contractor undertook no physical works at the project site.
He described the prolonged suspension as a difficult period for the Ministry, development partners, and communities along the corridor, particularly residents who had waited for years to see the road completed.
The Minister, however, credited the financing partners and other stakeholders for their efforts in helping to revive the project and said the Liberian Government had dispatched a delegation to Kuwait while also engaging other development partners to reaffirm its commitment to completing the road.
He said, following renewed engagements, the consultant resumed coordination with the Ministry and contractor through virtual meetings in August 2025, while a kick-off meeting was subsequently held with the Ministry’s Infrastructure and Implementation Unit in October 2025.
According to the Minister, those engagements paved the way for the effective recommencement of field activities and enabled the project to move from a prolonged standstill toward substantial completion.
The Minister reported that, by June 2026, the project had achieved approximately 99 percent physical completion, while about 84.48 percent of the contract value had been disbursed.
He said the project delivered a comprehensive range of civil engineering works designed to transform the corridor into a safer and more reliable transportation route capable of supporting both passenger and commercial traffic.
The Minister said the pavement structure includes an engineered subgrade, a 250-millimeter granular subbase, a 200-millimeter crushed-stone base course, and a 50-millimeter asphalt concrete wearing course.
He explained that the road was designed to accommodate projected commercial, passenger, and cross-border freight traffic throughout its intended design life.
The Minister said the road’s horizontal and vertical alignment was designed for a rural speed of 80 kilometers per hour in open-country sections, while speeds were reduced to 60 kilometers per hour through eight built-up settlement areas, in accordance with safety standards for major trunk roads carrying mixed traffic.
He said the project also upgraded eight settlement areas to urban standards, with additional lanes, lay-bys, drainage facilities, and walkways designed to accommodate market activities, pedestrian movement, and emergency access.
The Minister identified Gbarnga, Weinsue, Belefanai, Gbalatuah, Ganglota, Gorlu, and Telemu among the areas receiving improvements under the project, while explaining that Telemu’s allocation was reassigned to accommodate two immigration checkpoints because of its proximity to Salayea and the concentration of market activities in the area.
He said several minor activities remained to bring the project to full completion, including the installation of kerbstones, gutters, and chutes at cut-and-fill interfaces; construction of traffic islands at major and minor intersections; installation of culvert marker posts; and maintenance of access roads to former construction and consultant camps.
According to the Minister, road safety was a central consideration in the design of the project, with paved and unpaved shoulders provided along the corridor to create recovery space for vehicles and separated areas for pedestrians and cyclists.
He said dedicated service lanes and lay-bys were also incorporated through the eight urban settlement areas to separate through traffic from market activities, roadside trading, and local vehicle movements.
The Minister said pedestrian walkways were constructed around schools, clinics, religious centers, and other major points of public activity to provide safer movement for children, elderly persons, and other vulnerable road users.
He added that traffic islands and channelization were incorporated at major and minor intersections to organize turning movements and reduce potential conflict points, while guardrails were installed at high-fill embankments, bridge approaches, and other locations considered to present elevated risks.
The project also included reinforced concrete approach slabs at seven rehabilitated bridge locations, the Minister said, while a comprehensive drainage system was developed to quickly remove surface water and reduce flooding, erosion, pavement deterioration, and other hazards associated with the country’s heavy rainy seasons.
The Minister disclosed that 158 culverts were constructed and backfilled, including 141 reinforced concrete pipe culverts and 17 box culverts, while seven bridges were rehabilitated and repaired, with one additional bridge replaced by a three-celled box culvert.
He said the project also included the construction of 14 reinforced concrete approach slabs and purpose-built accommodation at two immigration checkpoints along the corridor.
The Minister described the road as far more than an engineering achievement, saying it represents a lifeline for the people of Bong and Lofa Counties, as well as the rest of Liberia and the wider subregion.
He said the improved corridor would reduce travel time and vehicle operating costs between Gbarnga and Salayea, and onward along the wider Gbarnga–Voinjama–Mendikorma route, particularly during the rainy season when the former unpaved road was often difficult or impossible to use.
He said the project would improve farm-to-market access and enable farmers to transport agricultural products to markets at lower costs while reducing post-harvest losses.
The Minister further said the road would strengthen cross-border trade through the Belefanai junction toward Guinea, while improved conditions at the two immigration checkpoints would support regional commerce and freight movement.
He said new commercial opportunities were expected to emerge in the eight upgraded settlement areas, where dedicated lay-bys and service lanes would allow market activities and roadside trading to continue without disrupting through traffic.
The Minister also highlighted the employment opportunities generated directly and indirectly throughout the life of the project, including opportunities associated with asphalt plant, quarry, crusher, and batching plant operations, as well as local subcontractors, suppliers, and casual workers.
