MONROVIA — Public Works Minister Roland Lafayette Giddings is calling for the National Road Fund to operate independently, arguing that a stable and autonomous financing mechanism is critical to sustaining road maintenance and delivering the government's ambitious plan to connect Liberia through an expanded paved road network.
Speaking during an appearance on Prime FM on July 21, Giddings outlined what he described as the government's aggressive infrastructure agenda, highlighting ongoing and upcoming highway projects while insisting that long-term financing remains the cornerstone of Liberia's road development strategy.
The minister said the government's vision extends beyond constructing new roads to ensuring completed highways are properly maintained through a dedicated and independent funding mechanism.
According to Giddings, one of the Ministry of Public Works' first priorities upon taking office was to keep the country's major unpaved primary road corridors passable throughout the rainy season while simultaneously advancing long-term pavement projects.
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"One of the things that we tried to alleviate when we took over was to make sure we keep the major primary corridors that were not paved pliable, even during the raining season," Giddings said.
He said those efforts have significantly improved accessibility across Liberia, particularly to counties that were historically difficult to reach during the rainy season.
"You can now drive up to Maryland with no issue. You can go to Greenville. You can go up to Lofa, up to Voinjama. Right now, there will be no issue in terms of bad, terrible road work," the minister asserted.
Giddings said the improved road conditions have reduced the need for travelers heading to southeastern Liberia to transit through neighboring Côte d'Ivoire.
"I'm happy that people are not going through Ivory Coast to go to Maryland County, where I grew up," he said.
The Public Works minister projected that Liberia could achieve one of its most ambitious infrastructure milestones within the next five years.
"By 2029, 2030, latest, you will be driving from Monrovia to Maryland on pavement road," Giddings declared.
He explained that the government intends to close the remaining gaps along the southeastern highway through several pavement contracts scheduled to commence during the upcoming dry season.
According to him, construction will cover the Tappita-Toe Town, Toe Town-Zwedru, Zwedru-Fish Town and Fish Town-Maryland corridors, creating a continuous paved highway linking Monrovia to the country's southeastern region.
Giddings said motorists can already travel almost entirely on pavement from Monrovia to Tappita, noting that work on the Ganta-Saclepea-Tappita Highway is nearing completion.
"I can safely say by December, latest, we will be dedicating that corridor from Ganta to Tappita," he said.
He added that construction of a major bridge along the highway is progressing and is expected to be completed before the official dedication ceremony.
The minister also announced that the completed Banga-Salayea Highway will be commissioned on July 28, shortly after Liberia's Independence Day celebrations.
According to him, the government has already secured approximately US$72 million to extend pavement works from Salayea to Konia while continuing efforts to mobilize additional financing to complete the road to Voinjama and the Guinea border.
He stressed that completing the Lofa corridor remains a strategic national priority because of the county's importance to Liberia's agricultural economy.
"Lofa is the breadbasket," he said.
Beyond the country's major highways, Giddings said the government plans to begin paving roads in several county capitals during the next dry season.
He named Bopolu, Greenville, Harper, Zwedru, Kakata, Gbarnga, Ganta, River Gee and Grand Kru among cities expected to benefit from the next phase of road construction.
"The entire country by dry season will be a construction site," the minister declared.
He also disclosed that engineers are currently assessing the deteriorating Caldwell-Johnsonville Road in Montserrado County ahead of a major rehabilitation project.
Repairs and resurfacing, he said, are expected to begin during the dry season once technical assessments are completed.
Construction has also commenced on the Chicken Soup Factory Road, where the first 1.5 kilometers have already been completed, with additional works expected to continue next year.
Defending the government's continued emphasis on road infrastructure, Giddings said Liberia's "roads first" development policy predates the current administration and was shaped by nationwide consultations following the country's civil conflict.
He recalled that Liberians overwhelmingly identified roads as the country's most urgent development need because poor transportation networks had isolated communities, hindered economic recovery and restricted access to basic services.
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According to the minister, a recent national road inventory indicates that Liberia has approximately 14,075 kilometers of roads, with fewer than 10 percent currently paved, underscoring the scale of the infrastructure challenge.
"A road is the vein of the economy," Giddings said. "The moment you invest in roads, you invest in energy, you invest in seaport, you invest in airport, you invest in telecommunication, you invest in ICT infrastructure. Before you look, the economy will begin to boom. Agriculture will boom. There will be investment in manufacturing, in mining, everywhere."
Giddings concluded by reiterating that Liberia's ambitious road agenda cannot be sustained without predictable financing dedicated specifically to road maintenance and expansion.
He argued that granting the National Road Fund operational independence would help preserve completed infrastructure, ensure timely maintenance of highways and support the government's long-term vision of connecting every region of Liberia through a modern and resilient road network.
