Barrobo, Maryland County — The main road linking Barrobo and Karluway Districts in Maryland County has once again been cut off following the collapse of a wooden bridge constructed in 2024 by District 3 Representative Austin B. Taylor.
The bridge reportedly broke over the weekend after a heavy truck transporting crushed rocks to Barrobo crossed the structure. The truck was said to be carrying construction materials intended for the ongoing Barrobo City Hall project.
The wooden bridge, valued at approximately US$6,000, was built as a temporary intervention after the original bridge was washed away by heavy flooding in July 2024. The project was undertaken by Rep. Taylor to restore movement between the two districts while awaiting a permanent government solution.
Residents and social media users have since raised concerns about the incident, calling on authorities to address the situation quickly to restore access to the affected communities. As of Sunday, the Ministry of Public Works had not issued an official statement regarding the collapse.
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Meanwhile, allegations have circulated among some residents accusing Maryland County Superintendent Henry Cole of being responsible for the damage. According to the claims, the truck that crossed the bridge was transporting crushed rocks to Barrobo Glofaken for the construction of the Barrobo City Hall.
However, when contacted by FrontPage Africa on Sunday, Superintendent Cole denied ownership of the vehicle involved.
"The truck is not mine," Cole said in a phone interview. "It belongs to contractors transporting construction materials for the City Hall project after the county received an additional budget allocation."
In a statement released Sunday evening on his official Facebook page, Rep. Taylor clarified that the wooden bridge was never intended to serve as a permanent structure but was constructed as a temporary solution to assist residents following the destruction of the previous bridge.
"My attention has been drawn to several viral social media posts attempting to taint my reputation by placing blame on me for the condition of a wooden bridge that I assisted the community in constructing temporarily in 2024," the lawmaker stated.
Rep. Taylor emphasized that the construction and maintenance of bridges and roads fall under the statutory responsibility of government institutions such as the Ministry of Public Works, not lawmakers.
"As a lawmaker representing the people, my primary constitutional duty is legislation, oversight, and representation," he said. "However, like many lawmakers across Liberia, I sometimes intervene to help communities address urgent needs when official interventions may take months or years."
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He further called on journalists and media institutions to focus their attention on the appropriate government agencies responsible for infrastructure development and to avoid what he described as misleading narratives aimed at gaining social media attention.
Despite the controversy surrounding the bridge collapse, Rep. Taylor reaffirmed his commitment to advocating for development in District #3 and engaging relevant institutions to ensure that communities receive durable infrastructure solutions.
The collapse has once again disrupted transportation between Barrobo and Karluway Districts, leaving residents hopeful that authorities will take swift action to provide a more permanent and resilient bridge structure.
With these clarifications, Rep. Austin Taylor through his office has released an official Press Statement, affirming that his office will break ground this week for the construction of a concrete bridge on the site.
