NATIONAL NEWS
JAPAN – The Ministry of Public Works (MPW) says it is making significant progress in efforts to upgrade Liberia’s transportation network, with the Japan Freeway Expansion Project receiving a major boost.
Deputy Minister for Technical Services at the Ministry, Prince Tambah, is currently in Tokyo representing the Government of Liberia in the bid-opening process and contract negotiations for the extension of the project.
By: Rufus Divine Brooks Jr
The initiative aims to rehabilitate and modernize the key road corridor from Freeport to the Gabriel Tucker Bridge in Monrovia.
Planned works include full alignment reconfiguration, elevation of sections of the roadway, and the installation of improved drainage and stormwater management systems.
As part of the broader infrastructure plan, the Liberian government is also seeking support from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for the construction of a new parallel bridge alongside the existing Gabriel Tucker Bridge.
The proposed infrastructure package, estimated at US$35.5 million, includes the construction of a modern 450-foot parallel bridge, elevation works, and a grade-separated overpass linking the Johnson/Broad Street intersection directly to the bridge.
The project aligns with JICA’s 2009 Master Plan, which identified the need to strengthen urban infrastructure in Monrovia.
Authorities say the development is expected to enhance national resilience, improve urban economic productivity, boost road safety, and ease traffic congestion while eliminating what officials describe as a high-risk single-point failure in Liberia’s national road network.
