Abubakar Hashim / Sierra Leone–Liberia Border
It was a meeting of a senior with a junior brother. President Boakai sees his Sierra Leonean counterpart, Bio, as a junior brother in all ramifications.
The two leaders met at the border this year to initiate a groundbreaking event.
A 255-kilometre road will run from Montserrado in Liberia to the border at Bo Waterside.
The road project entails a 38-kilometre toll road stretch from St. Paul Bridge to Klay. This will have a four-lane interchange.
There will also be routes from Klay to Bo Waterside, from Klay to Tubmanburg, and from Madina Junction to Robertsport.
These are part of the 217 non-toll roads across multiple regions.
The project is a 25-year Design, Build, Operate, and Transfer (DBOT) concession, awarded to Pavifort Construction Company.
Pavifort will finance 60% of the project cost, while the Government of Liberia will contribute 40% through its National Road Fund (NRF), supported by a $100 million guarantee.
The road project forms part of Liberia’s 2025–2029 ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development.
The official groundbreaking ceremony will take place at the Bo Waterside Border Post on a date to be announced soon.
Both Sierra Leone and Liberia share an open border, with trade and people-to-people movement at their peak, resulting in long-standing and strong cultural relationships, often culminating in intermarriages.
The relationship is further strengthened by the backgrounds of the two leaders: Boakai was born in Wasonga, a town close to Kenema in Sierra Leone, while Bio was born in Tihun in southern Sierra Leone but participated actively during the war in Liberia under ECOMOG.
This $364 million project will definitely add value to cross-border trade, ease the movement of people, and enhance economic development.
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