By Mustapha Jarju
Minister of Works and Infrastructure, Hon Ebrima Sillah, during his side visit to some of the construction sites of the OIC road project within the Greater Banjul Area, tasked the contractors handling the OIC Road project to fast-track work before the commencement of the rainy season.
He agreed that “there has been a significant improvement since the beginning of the construction of the OIC road projects last year to date, covering over 50% of the road development towards completion.
“We are also working hard with the consultants, the contractors, and the NRA to ensure that all the services are relocated at the end of July and that all obstructions that are on the right of the road especially properties that encroach the roads are demolished and the property owners are compensated also by end of July.”
He emphasised that the roads in Kanifing and Jeshwang should all be completed by the end of July, and the concrete road that they visited after the Muslim Cemetery in Jeshwang going all the way to Sankung Sillah should also be completed by the end of July.
However, he added that part of the concerns of his Ministry is the open drainages that are on the Banjul -Serekunda Highway especially when coming from Westfield towards Jimpex Junction, and from Jimpex to Jeshwang interception, noting that the Ministry of Works is working with contractors to ensure that the drainages are clean and cover.
“It is additional work and also an additional cost but it is in the interest of the government to see that open drainage is completely covered, so that during the rainy season, there will be an easier flow of water. But also people should not use the drainage system as a dumping facility,” he warned.
Fatali Haseen, a consultant to the OIC road project said, their target is to meet 30% of the road process before the heavy rain and the work is ongoing in which the contractors are working on about 5 roads, but also they are working on the relocation of services and demolition.
“One of our aim for this project is to clear the road to allow the contractors to proceed with their work, but we hope to meet this target before the heavy rain so that after the heavy rain it will be easy for the contractors moving on with all the projects without problems,” he said.
