After decades of economic stagnation and infrastructural neglect, Liberia's southeastern counties are experiencing a major economic revival, thanks to significant improvements in road connectivity. From Ganta to Fish Town and beyond, newly rehabilitated highways are driving down transportation costs, easing the movement of goods and services, and reviving long-dormant local markets.
According to our Daily Observer's Nimba Bureau correspondent, transportation and trade activities have picked up considerably in the region, with businesses reporting increased supply of goods and reduced prices. Key roads connecting the southeast to the rest of Liberia -- including the Ganta to Tappita, Tappita to Zwedru, Zwedru to Fish Town, and Harper to Fish Town corridors -- have either been constructed or rehabilitated, drastically transforming the region's logistical landscape.
"We thank God for the improvement of the road, where we can now board taxis from our locality to Monrovia," said J. Yarkerseh Kolar, a resident of Kweken, River Gee County.
Travelers who once paid exorbitant fares on perilous roads are now enjoying significantly reduced transportation costs. Cholo Moses, a passenger traveling to Monrovia from Fish Town, said, "For now, we are paying at least L$7,000 from Fish Town to Monrovia, and we think it can be further reduced if the road network is fully improved."
In the past, traveling from Ganta to Fish Town cost as much as L$20,000 on a motorcycle, with individual passengers sometimes paying L$12,500 each due to the rough terrain and high risk of breakdowns. Only four-wheel drive vehicles with "helper" pushers could endure the turbulent journey during rainy seasons.
However, with the Unity Party-led government accelerating infrastructure projects, these challenges are beginning to fade. According to regional motorists, the completion of the Harper-Fish Town highway and the continued maintenance of the Zwedru-Fish Town route have dramatically improved access across the southeast.
The improved roads are already generating measurable economic impact. In River Gee and Grand Kru counties, the cost of staple imported commodities has dropped significantly.
"Prices of imported commodities have also dropped. We are now buying a 25kg bag [of rice] for at least L$4,000 in Fish Town and purchasing a gallon of gasoline for L$850 wholesale and selling it at L$900," said Saturday Christopher Leweh, a motorcyclist and small trader in Grand Kru County.
Improved logistics are also attracting traders and suppliers who once avoided the region due to poor infrastructure. George Kayee, Station Manager of Radio Gee, praised the developments.
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"At least, things are picking up now in the southeast. We can have goods flowing in at affordable prices," Kayee said. "Prices of goods and services have dropped. We now see businesspeople from elsewhere looking for someone to sell their goods."
He added that previously scarce items like vegetable oil are now arriving daily from Monrovia, highlighting how reduced travel times and costs have reintegrated the southeast into the national economy.
Maintenance work is continuing along key roads, even during the rainy season. The Saclepea-Tappita road corridor, a crucial connection in central Liberia, is nearing completion and is expected to enhance access to the Jackson F. Doe Memorial Referral Hospital--one of the country's leading health facilities.
The southeastern region, rich in natural resources such as gold and timber, has long suffered from poor road access, stifling its economic potential for over three decades since the end of the Liberian civil war.
In addition to its natural wealth, the region is home to the Sapo National Park and several forest reserves--now managed as community forests--near the Ivory Coast border. However, residents say illegal gold mining, poaching, and shifting agriculture by foreign nationals, particularly Burkinabés, remain a concern.
Still, with road infrastructure rapidly improving, many believe the stage is set for economic transformation--one driven by better mobility, lower costs, and new market opportunities.
"The southeasterners are happy with the flood of goods, food, and construction items. It is making traveling easy and restoring hope in our region," said Kayee.
