By Oumie Bojang
Yankuba Dibba, CEO of OIC Gambia, has said their role as secretariat is to coordinate all activities that will lead to a successful holding of the 15th summit of the heads of state and government in The Gambia.
He was speaking to journalists at the OIC project tour recently. The tour is geared toward keeping the public abreast with the ongoing works and the nature of the projects.
“Today’s occasion is a monitoring and accountability process to the people, to go out, get the taxpayers informed of how all their finances that they are contributing are being utilised in their interest”.
He added that the idea also includes informing and appealing to society to persevere through very difficult times as plying Bertil Harding high way to Yundum airport at the moment is difficult affecting livelihoods and businesses.
He therefore called on Gambians to bear with them as construction within the habited area cannot be compared with building roads in the bush, because in such scenarios lives are affected.
“If you cut a pipe you deny a family water, cut a cable you deny businesses access to internet, cut a cable you deny family electricity. We are dealing with a lot of emotions. At the level of the OIC, we are over the moon today seeing that we have come this far because everything happens so fast beyond our wildest dream and it’s all intended for a common good.”
Momodou Senghore, MD, National Roads Authority said these roads p6 Kololi tavern to Bijilo heading to Brufut Sheriff Kunda, p7 Touba Sanchaba, Kerr Sering to Sukuta Camping, p8 Bijilo Bertil Harding, Sukuta Nemasu Latrikunda, p9 Sukuta wullingkama, Brufut Ghana Town, p11 Bijilo Site Access road, p20 Wullingkama garage to AU have key strategic settlements and developing them under the OIC will impact on the way traffic moves along the urban setup.
“One challenge we have in common is the relocation of services as far as the 50 kilometers are concerned. We are working with Nawec in building new networks and installing new services as far as water is concerned, and Gamtel as well to take care of our communication services which in a sense delays the progress of the work.”
He added that the roads consist of a six-lane carriageway with a median in the middle and other facilities for the pedestrians, with three flyovers which one will be situated at Sinchu, one at Brusubi Turntable, and one at Kairaba Avenue traffic lights to ensure and enhance the movement of traffic within, and at interceptions.
Malang Jammeh, material engineer Saudi consultant/Gamtech joint venture, said these are high-quality roads they have been designed according to the Ecowas protocols in regional integration, in a sense to accept all types of vehicles moving along the West Coast corridor from Dakar, Lagos, and Abidjan.
He said ideally the subgrade is at least with a California bearing ratio (CBR) of 16 more required than a normal road, two layers.
