JUDU TOWN — In River Cess County, deplorable road conditions are severely hampering the livelihoods of local residents and businesses. Glady Gborgar, a local vendor, faces the harsh reality as her goods, mostly fufu, lie unsold along a roadside in an open field near Judu Town. With no commercial vehicles braving the nearly impassable feeder roads leading to and from her town, her ability to support her family is dwindling rapidly.
Judu Town, located approximately 10 kilometers from the main road to the Timbo Bridge that connects River Cess to Grand Bassa County, exemplifies the difficulties faced by inland communities. The poor state of the roads is not just a transportation issue but a significant economic barrier, impacting everything from education to healthcare.
Gborgar, like many others, is unable to transport her goods to Monrovia, where she usually earns enough to pay for her children’s education. “The big problem we have here is the road,” Gborgar lamented. “There is no way for us to carry our market to town again because of the condition of the road. Everything is just getting hard.”
Glady Gborgar says there is no way for her to carry her market in town again because of the condition of the road: Photo by Eric Opa Doue.
Healthcare and Emergency Services at Risk
The Liberian Investigator has been touring districts, speaking with individuals from various sectors about the road conditions. Every person interviewed reported that the deplorable state of the roads is making life unbearable.
Mark Banwon, a dispenser at a community clinic in the Central River Cess Town of Gbloseo, noted that drug supplies often arrive late due to the poor road conditions. While Gbloseo Town is roughly a 10-minute drive from Yarpah Town under normal conditions, Banwon mentioned that it sometimes takes an hour or more.
“The road presents significant challenges for us clinicians,” Banwon said. “There are times when we have patients in labor and we call an ambulance, but the road can be blocked by heavy trucks stuck in the mud.”
Economic Impacts: Skyrocketing Prices and Transportation Costs
The road to Gbloseo Town: Photo by Eric Opa Doue
Several feeder roads, like those connecting Geezay Judu, Gbloseo, Monweh, and Zammie Towns, are badly damaged, making internal travel much more difficult for commuters as wooden bridges are also in disrepair. Consequently, prices of goods and other commodities have skyrocketed. In Yarpah Town, a 25kg bag of rice is sold for L$3700, while in Monweh and Kploh, the price rises to L$4300. A gallon of gasoline costs between L$800 and L$1000 in Yarpah Town and escalates to L$1200 in the Central and Upper River Cess Districts.
Bike riding has become the only viable means of commuting between towns here. Commercial bike riders, faced with no alternative, have doubled their transportation fares. Abednego Dee, head of the local motorcyclists union in the county, explained to The Liberian Investigator that they charge more due to the deplorable road conditions. “For every trip made, one has to visit a garage. Where we used to charge one thousand Liberian Dollars, we now charge two thousand,” Dee said. “We understand it is burdensome, but the blame falls on the road.”
The challenges extend beyond the inland areas. Travelers heading to the southeast along the River Cess-Grand Bassa corridor are also experiencing significant difficulties. The main route from Buchanan to River Cess has reverted to its pre-election condition, with vehicles frequently getting stuck in the mud. The road has become nearly impassable due to prolonged rainfall in July and August this year, although this was not the case from January to June. In early January 2024, Bea Mountain Mining Corporation had reconditioned the corridor from Grand Bassa County to Solo Town in River Cess County.
Government and Private Sector Responses
The Liberian Investigator has seen trucks failing and breaking down along the route blocking the free flow of traffic: Photo by Eric Opa Doue
Traveling from River Cess to Buchanan can be challenging, with “yellow machines” positioned and ready to repair the damaged areas when the weather permits. However, these repairs have been delayed due to persistent rainfall. The Liberian Investigator has observed trucks breaking down along the route, which blocks the free flow of traffic. Road users, including commercial drivers and passengers, are all feeling the effects of the poor road conditions.
In June of this year, the government’s road rehabilitation efforts reached River Cess as part of President Boakai’s first 100-day commitment to ensure that “no car gets stuck in the mud.” The company contracted for this project, the Agency for Rural Development and Services, Inc., is tasked with the rehabilitation of the 35 km stretch of road between Saturday Town in Grand Bassa County and Cestos Junction in River Cess. According to Thony Sarpong, the company’s General Operations Manager, they are also responsible for conducting periodic maintenance along the road for the next two years.
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