Pres. Boakai Calls It “One Of The Most Strategically Important Corridors”, As He Breaks Ground
PHOTO: (above) The architectural drawing of the new road project and the groundbreaking ceremony (below)
By Our Staff Writer
The Japanese government has done it again, after funding the Freeport to Redlight road leading to Liberia’s hinterland costing some US$100 million, with another road corridor from the Freeport of Monrovia to the Gabriel Tucker bridge in Vai Town linking central Monrovia.
Formally called Somalia Drive, the Freeport-Redlight road corridor has since been renamed the Japan Freeway in appreciation to the Japanese government which funded the project JICA, the Japan development agency.
With the official groundbreaking ceremony performed by President Joseph Boakai yesterday, Friday, July 3, 2026ce, construction works are now expected to go into motion for the nearly US18 million ((2.7 billion Japanese Yen) road corridor.
“This road is one of the most strategically important transport corridors in our country,” President Boakai stated during his keynote address.
The Liberian leader said: “It is the lifeline of Liberia’s economy, linking the nation’s principal seaport to the capital and supporting the daily movement of people, goods, and commerce.”
The Public Works Ministry’s Assistant Minister for Construction Sundiata Juasemai Construction said the road corridor covers approximately 1.9 kilometres of existing four-lane roadway extending from the western end of the Japan Freeway to the Gabriel Tucker Bridge
The Public Works Ministry official said the corridor serves as a paramount gateway to the Freeport of Monrovia, connecting key economic zones within the city, including the strategic crossing at the Gabriel Tucker Bridge.
“Upon completion on 15 June 2028, this modernized corridor will improve traffic flow, enhance road safety, reduce flooding, lower long-term maintenance costs, strengthen access to the Freeport of Monrovia, and support Liberia’s sustainable economic growth.”
Speaking during Friday’s groundbreaking ceremony, Japanese Ambassador to Liberia Hiroshi Yoshimoto reaffirmed his government’s commitment to Liberia’s infrastructure development, especially the area of roads.