“The Government and People must decongest Red-light to give way to intensive road work” were the direct words used in delight by Public Works Minister Samuel Kofi Woods amidst cheers from the crowd when he spoke at the ground breaking ceremony of phase one of the Red-light to Gbarnga road yesterday in Monrovia.

The ground breaking ceremony of the Red-light to Gbarnga road which constitutes phase one of the OPRC contract took place yesterday in Monrovia with Vice President  Joseph Boakai and scores of government officials and partners making remarks during the ceremony.

Public Works Minister Samuel Kofi Woods in a detailed comment concerning phase one and assuring the people of Nimba County about the kick-off of phase two, he indicted with words of assurance that the government will not proceed to deny its people the right to property ownership. He said proper information, dialogue where necessary and appropriate due compensation will be provided to people who are affected as the result of this enormous development.

“The road work is not just physical investment as being understood but also human development because the project must translate to human investment”, Minister Woods maintained. He urged the contracting agency, CICO to give preference to Liberians in term of employment indicating that “the first term of President Sirleaf’s administration was to lift Liberia but this term is strictly attributed to lifting Liberians”.

The former Minister of Labour who was appointed as Minister of Public Works in 2009 assured CICO workers and Liberians in attendance that his administration will be working with the Ministry of Labour in ensuring better wages for Liberians on the project, standards and protective outfits for workers. He also urged the contracting company to develop programs that will benefit Liberian contractors through sub-contracting arrangements that will help empower their capabilities.

In term of human development and transfer of knowledge, Minister Woods also called on CICO to connect University students in the technical field to the project in a bid to enhance their skills practically.

Commenting on phase two of the project which links Gbarnga to Ganta, Minister Woods reiterated that the second segment of the project will be done as planned. “We are currently going through the bid process and by November or early part of 2013, the project will commence”, he noted. Concerning the Caldwell Bridge, he disclosed that the bridge work will commence this coming dry season and there was no need to panic.

For the continuous maintenance of the road, Minister Woods indicated that his administration will be working with the National Legislature in building toll booths that will include upholding the prolongetivity of the road.

For his part, Vice President Joseph Boakai cautioned citizens of the country to work along with the contractors in protecting construction materials that will be used for the work. He said the Red-light to Ganta stretch of the road connect several counties and called on the contracting company to go for nothing less than quality.

Other partners including Representative of the European Union made comments at the program.

On January 25, 2012, the Government of Liberia and CICO signed a contract for the rehabilitation of 180.36 km road from Red-light to Gbarnga. The value of the contract is put at U$166,009,150.67 and the contract is jointly funded by LRTF and the Government of Liberia. LRTF is the Liberia Reconstruction Trust Fund. The contract is funded under the Liberia Road Asset Management Project (LIBRAMP).