The President of Sierra Leone, Dr. Julius Maada Bio, has commissioned the newly constructed 231-metre-long Mabang bridge, which connects the Ribbi River in the Moyamba chiefdom in the South, and the Koya chiefdom in the North, and was renamed "The Koblo-Gulama" Bridge.
The new two-lane bridge was constructed with steel beams and a reinforced concrete deck that spans 231 meters. The bridge is 10.2 meters wide with two sidewalks across the Ribbi River, which is the boundary between Koya Chiefdom in the Port Loko District and Ribbi Chiefdom in the Moyamba District. It also linked Sierra Leone with Liberia through Bandajuma.
The newly constructed bridge project was funded under the 11th European Development Fund (EDF) and cost €11.7 million. It is part of Lot Two of the Moyamba-Moyamba Junction Road and Bridges Project, jointly funded by the European Union and the Government of Sierra Leone. The work also includes the construction of paved approach roads on both sides of the bridge.
The Koblo-Gulama bridge replaces the hand-pulled ferry, which has been the major means of crossing the Ribbi River since the collapse of the old bridge in February 2013, and it is expected to greatly improve access in this part of the country with enhanced economic benefits to the nation.
The bridge will not only revive major commercial activities in that part of the country, but it will also reduce travel time, reduce sea accidents, and save money, goods, and services that used to perish as a result of the non-availability of dug-out canoes in the past nine years.
His Excellency Dr. Julius Maada Bio, said, "The immense financial losses when citizens have lost their goods and possessions when boats capsize in the currents of the Ribbi are truly regrettable." The bridge's opening to the public signaled the end of many years of using dug-out canoes to cross and access other towns and villages in that part of the country.
The President said, "It is in that spirit that I want to thank the European Union, which has provided finance and worked very closely with my government." As has been indicated, my government paid compensation of hundreds of thousands of dollars to strike workers; provided billions of leones' worth of duty-free waivers; provided security at the work site, and the right leadership and work environment to deliver this project.
Bio said, "This is the spirit of cooperation between my government and the European Union that is transforming infrastructure, communities, and lives." "Coming at a time when there is a seeming petering away of international development assistance, Sierra Leone truly appreciates this intervention from the European Union."
According to the Director-General of the Sierra Leone Roads Authority (SLRA), Dr. Amara Jambai Kanneh, the project designed works that fall under lot 2 of the 48 million Euro Moyamba-Moyamba Junction Roads and Bridge Project include the construction of 312 meters of paved access roads on either side of the bridge.
The European Union's Deputy Head of Delegation in Sierra Leone, Juan Antonio Frutos, stated that the EU values its long-standing, committed, and dependable political and development partnership with the Sierra Leonean government and people. according to him, he "was encouraging and supportive of the consolidation and progress on peace, stability, democracy, governance, and human rights in the country."
He states, "Please allow me to express my gratitude once more to all who have helped build this bridge." I am grateful to witness today that His Excellency the President, Dr. Julius Maada Bio, will commission this EU-funded bridge to the people of Sierra Leone. "
The deputy head of the European Union delegation in the country said that the two bridges, Mabang and Magbele, will be part of a package of road infrastructure projects that Sierra Leone and the European Union intend to round off before the 2023 rainy season.
The Director of the National Authorising Office, Ambrose James, described major infrastructural development by the European Union and other partners in the country as a huge milestone.
He said the Mabang Bridge is a "manifestation of President Bio’s wish to deliver for his people." He expressed how grateful he was for the conducive working environment and political will received in the course of the work from its start to completion.
The Koblo-Gulama Bridge
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