The Sierra Leone Roads Authority (SLRA) and the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF) have embarked on an emergency maintenance works to remedy critical sections along the Makolo Junction – Moyamba and from Moyamba Town – Shengeh Road.

This intervention is to ensure that the roads remain passable by motorists until the actual reconstruction works begin in the coming months.

Since the Mabang Bridge collapsed in February 2013, communities living along this route have been faced with series of constraints. The collapse of the bridge has caused extreme difficulties for people to market their goods and do business as usual.

Residents along these communities say the road is important to their trade, health, academic and social activities; it links many towns, villages and chiefdoms between Port Loko and Moyamba districts.

One of the Drivers plying the Songo-Moyamba road said people in that part of the country are engaged in various commercial activities, and the bridge is an essential infrastructure for their daily survival and development programmes.

Town Chief at Mabang village, Chief Ibrahim Kargbo, said there are currently no vibrant commercial activities going-on in that part of the country, adding that this has created lot of sufferings for majority of the people living in communities along the Song-Moyamba road as most of them depend on trading goods from Freetown to communities between Songo and Moyamba town for their livelihoods.

Aminata Kamara, a young business woman who buys most of her goods from the capital city Freetown and trade them in villages along the Songo-Moyamba road, said they are almost cut off from Freetown.

When completed, the road will serve to reduce travel time, vehicle operating costs, and accidents between Moyamba and Western Urban districts.