Published: June 19, 2026
MONROVIA – President Joseph Nyuma Boakai will break ground Friday on a more than US$16 million reconstruction of the Freeport to Gabriel Tucker Bridge corridor, a road fully financed by Japan that the government says will ease chronic congestion and flooding on one of Monrovia’s busiest commercial routes.
Information Minister Jerolinmek M. Piah disclosed the plan Thursday during the Ministry of Information’s regular press briefing, calling the project a major milestone in Liberia’s infrastructure modernization agenda and a testament to the growing partnership between Liberia and Japan. Boakai is expected to officiate the groundbreaking, formally launching construction on a roadway linking the Freeport of Monrovia to central sections of the capital.
The project stems from an agreement signed in Tokyo on March 6, 2025, under which the Government of Japan committed JPY 2.45 billion, about US$16 million, for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the corridor. The contract was signed by Prince Tambah, then deputy minister for technical services at the Ministry of Public Works, after a week of consultations with the Japan International Cooperation Agency and Eight-Japan Engineering Consultants Inc.
The work was awarded to Dai Nippon Construction, which will rehabilitate and reconstruct the 1.9-kilometer dual-carriageway corridor running from Freeport to the Gabriel Tucker Bridge. Officials said the project is financed through a 100 percent grant from the Government and people of Japan and is expected to be completed within 26 months.
Piah recalled that Liberia and Japan first signed an Exchange of Notes in Monrovia in March 2025 to finance the extension and rehabilitation of the corridor connecting Freeport and the Gabriel Tucker Bridge on Johnson Street, before finalizing the construction agreement in Tokyo later that month. “Under the agreement, the Japanese contractor will undertake the construction of the vital road corridor, with the project expected to be completed within 26 months,” he said.
The corridor is one of Monrovia’s most important commercial routes, and the minister said the upgrade is expected to dramatically improve traffic flow and cargo movement between the Freeport, Liberia’s principal maritime gateway, and the city’s major business districts. The project includes a complete road realignment and redesign, elevation of the roadway, and installation of modern drainage and stormwater management systems to address years of severe flooding along the route. Piah said the upgrades should enhance road safety, reduce transportation delays and improve connectivity within the capital.
While work on the Freeport to Gabriel Tucker Bridge section is set to begin after Friday’s groundbreaking, the government says substantial progress has already been recorded on the adjoining Freeport to St. Paul Bridge corridor. “While the construction from Gabriel Tucker Bridge to Freeport is set to begin following Friday’s groundbreaking, work on the adjoining stretch from Freeport to the St. Paul Bridge has already made significant progress,” Piah said.
He said asphalt paving has reached areas near the Duala Market, while major earthworks have been completed between the St. Paul Bridge and sections approaching the market. “Earthworks are also ongoing from Freeport toward the POINTFOUR Junction area,” he said, adding that the adjoining stretch is expected to be finished well ahead of the newly launched section. “When fully completed, motorists will be able to travel from Johnson Street to the St. Paul Bridge on a modern four-lane highway,” he added.
In parallel with the roadworks, the Liberia Electricity Corporation is expanding electricity distribution and street lighting along the route. “Street lighting projects have already been completed in several parts of Monrovia, including the Broad Street–Paynesville corridor and sections from Freeport to Red Light. Similar installations have begun along Johnson Street to the St. Paul Bridge corridor, with streetlights already installed from the St. Paul Bridge to Duala Market,” Piah noted.
He added: “Beginning Friday, June 19, the LEC will commence extending the lighting system toward Gabriel Tucker Bridge, with the entire corridor expected to be illuminated over time.” The minister explained that lighting along the Freeport to Gabriel Tucker Bridge section will initially serve as a temporary measure during construction. “Permanent street lighting infrastructure will be installed after the road project is completed to avoid damage to utility poles and ensure proper alignment with the final road design,” he said.
The government has described the project as a transformational investment in Monrovia’s transportation infrastructure, one expected to strengthen trade, improve mobility and support long-term economic growth. Upon completion, motorists will be able to travel from Johnson Street to the St. Paul Bridge along a modern four-lane highway, improving access to one of Liberia’s most vital economic corridors.
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