The Gambia spends US$ 82 million on roads over 10 years

The Gambia's secretary of state for Works, Construction and Infrastructure, Lamin Bojang, has announced that the government has spent US$ 82 million on the country's roads in the last 10 years, reports the country's The Point newspaper.

Major road projects over the last 10 years, said Mr Bojang, a 51 km-long stretch of the Essau-Kerewan road, which was jointly funded by the Taiwanese and Gambian governments at a cost of US$ 7.2m.

The Kuwaiti Fund, the Arab Fund for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA) and the Government, funded a 168 km-long section of the Kombo Coastal road project, which cost US$ 14.6 million.

Mr Bojang also said a 115 km-long section of the Farafenni-Laminkoto road was funded by the Kuwaiti Fund, the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) and the Gambian Government. It cost US$ 25.0 million.

"The Kerewan-Farafenni road project, a 59 km stretch sponsored by International Development Bank (IDB) and the Government of the Gambia, cost a total of US$ 18.5 million, while the Serrekunda-Mandinaba road project, a 28 km stretch sponsored by IDB and the Gambia Government, cost US$ 16.7 m", added Mr Bojang.

During the 2006-2008 period three major feeder roads were also completed in the country's Western Region, said Mr Bojang, in an effort to boost economic development of the area. The feeder roads would allow better access to market for goods, while giving better access to the job market for the previously impoverished people of the area, he added.

Mr Bojang, also said a nationwide feeder road construction programme is being prepared. It has been submitted to the European Union "for their consideration to fund".