PHOTO: Engineer and road construction workers doing preparatory works for road pavement
By Emmanuel Koffa
BARCLAYVILLE, Liberia– Another engineering survey has begun along the 75-kilometer Barclayville–Pleebo road, reviving an old question among Grand Kru County residents: Will this survey finally translate into a paved road?
A team of engineers working under the Ministry of Public Works has begun a month-long topographical survey of the corridor, gathering technical information expected to guide the design of the proposed road, which is situated .
The development has generated renewed optimism in Grand Kru, where residents have endured years of difficult transportation conditions along the major link between the county and neighboring Maryland County.
The corridor has previously benefited from rehabilitation interventions. World Bank project records show that travel time between Pleebo and Barclayville was significantly reduced during an earlier road rehabilitation project, while preparatory work was also undertaken for the replacement of bridges along the route.
But years later, sections of the corridor continue to face serious challenges.
In August, local authorities, the Ministry of Public Works and Golden Veroleum Liberia inspected the corridor following concerns over deteriorating log bridges. Officials said the 75-kilometer stretch had four log bridges requiring intervention, with plans discussed for their replacement with Bailey bridges as an immediate measure and concrete structures in the future.
Against that background, the latest topographical survey is being viewed by residents not simply as another technical exercise, but as a possible step toward a more permanent solution.
Consultant Team Lead Sambo H. Taylor, speaking to journalists in Bleebo-Trehn District, said the team is collecting engineering information that will be used in designing the road.
According to Taylor, the survey covers hydraulic features, mature vegetation, existing infrastructure and other physical characteristics along the corridor.
“The data that will be submitted by the team are the ones that will be used by a team of engineers as parameters to design the road for the government,” Taylor explained.”
Taylor praised residents for their cooperation, saying the difficult road conditions remain the team’s major challenge.
“Our only challenge is the road conditions, but when it comes to the human-to-human relationship, locals are cordial,” he said.»
The latest development comes amid government announcements concerning the future of the corridor.
The Ministry of Public Works officially identifies the Pleebo–Barclayville road as a 75-kilometer corridor connecting Maryland and Grand Kru Counties.
Recent reports have also indicated that the Government of Liberia plans to pave the corridor, while a separate announcement has referenced a 55.2-kilometer asphalt pavement project along the Barclayville–Sassatown corridor.
For residents who have witnessed previous road interventions, the commencement of the survey raises expectations that the technical work will be followed by financing, final engineering designs, contracting and, ultimately, asphalt pavement.
Vice President Jeremiah Kpan Koung and other senior government officials are expected in Grand Kru in October for development-related activities, including the anticipated groundbreaking associated with road infrastructure projects.
For communities along the Barclayville–Pleebo corridor, however, the expectation is straightforward: after years of difficult travel, surveys and temporary interventions, they want to see construction move from plans and measurements to an actual paved highway.