The head of The Gambia's National Roads Authority (NRA) has promised that a new network of feeder roads in the North Bank Region will be built to the "highest standards of quality, sustainability and accountability."
Speaking at a launch meeting in Njawara, Lower Badibou, the NRA's managing director, Sulayman Sumareh Janneh, said the roads would meet national specifications and be closely monitored throughout construction.
"The roads shall be built to the required standards set by the National Roads Authority, which is going to be in accordance with all other roads that have been constructed in The Gambia," he said.
The $25.5m project, funded by the World Bank under the Gambia Inclusive and Resilient Agricultural Value Chain Development Project (GIRAV), will cover 75.7km in the North Bank Region as part of a wider 204km programme across the country.
Follow us on WhatsApp | LinkedIn for the latest headlines
The works, scheduled over two years, are being carried out by the Chinese firm Chino Gam, with supervision from Pace and Ceetech Joint Venture.
Janneh said the NRA had deployed four monitoring teams to oversee both contractors and consultants. "So essentially, you will be having world-standard roads when these roads are done," he said.
Feeder roads, which connect rural communities to main highways, are seen as critical to improving market access in a country where agriculture supports much of the population.
Janneh described the GIRAV project as "a strong demonstration of the government's commitment to modernising infrastructure, strengthening agricultural value chains, and improving access for rural communities to markets and essential services."
He added that the project had been distributed nationwide "with clear objectives for creating access to farms, markets, and communities."
According to Janneh, the design of the roads has been upgraded to improve durability. "It is supposed to be a single-surface treatment, but because His Excellency the President is determined to ensure that he leaves a lasting legacy, he has instructed us to come back and ensure that we do a second treatment on the proposed roads and make them a double-surface treatment," he said.
This, he added, would ensure the roads "will last every 25 years."
He also outlined additional features aimed at safety and resilience. "The road is also a seven-metre wide road, a big road. It is supposed to be constructed with drainage structures, which include culverts and side drains," he said.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
"It is also going to have adequate road furniture - markings, signage, lines, and virtually every safety feature going to help people travelling and driving on these proposed roads."
Janneh said the authority would work closely with government institutions and local communities during implementation.
"At the National Roads Authority, we pledge to deliver this project with the highest standards of quality, sustainability and accountability," he said.
"Let this foundation stone remind us that every road we build is a pathway to development, prosperity and should be a national pride."
