Ousman Sanyang, Managing Director of the National Roads Authority (NRA), revealed that the ongoing Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) Lot 1&2 road projects upon completion, will provide an opportunity for regional integration trade, connecting communities in the Central and Upper River Region and some commercial communities in Senegal.

The roads will also enhance the easy movement of people, goods, and services between the two countries.

The NRA boss was speaking to journalists after inspecting the respective project sites in CRR and URR, noting that all the EPC ongoing road projects across the country are fully funded by the government of the Gambia

The EPC Lot 1 project that extends through the Upper River Region with a project line of 76kms is awarded to Gai Construction, a Gambian-owned company, and CityScape Associates is the Consultant.

The project is divided into fifteen sections of roads. The contractor is currently working on six roads, i.e., Basse Manneh Kunda – Demba Kunda – Gambisara Road (13.93 km); Angalfuta Road Project (1.76 km); Basse Manneh Kunda and Basse Road Project (1.6 km); Dampha Kunda to Tambansansang Road (9.2 km); Chamoi to Dampha Kunda (2.8 km) and Brikamaba- Boiram- Njoben Road (6.33km)

The physical work progress varies across the different sections of the road, and the consultant has reliably informed us that the progress of work is approximately 20%.

On the one hand, the EPC Lot 2 Road Project in the Central River Region (CRR) is 50km distributed among critical roads within the CRR and the contract is been awarded to Cornerstone Construction, another Gambian-owned company, and CityScape Associates as the Consultant.

These roads are designed to accommodate a high standard road with a Double Surface Bituminous Treatment (DBST), with all its road-related structures putting in place pedestrians’ sidewalks and Street lightning within communities to enhance its safety use by the beneficiaries.

However, the EPC Lot 2 50km road project is distributed into three sections as

• Section 1- Karantaba – Reneru – Tabanani – Demfaye – Njaga-Fitu Fulla is 26km long;

• Section 2- Njau Loop, 12 km; and

• Section 3- Laminkoto – Banni – Youna and Kunting is 12 km.

The contractor’s current activity:

The contractor is on the base course in section 3; they completed the concrete and base course in section 2, and they are left with two box culverts in section 1 before doing the base course.

The project also entails 8 Irish crossings, with 4 already completed and 4 box culverts, 2 already completed.

The progress of work is estimated at approximately 53%.