ECOWAS TO FUND CONSTRUCTION OF BANJUL-BARRA BRIDGE

The minister for Transport, Works and Infrastructure, Ebrima Sillah, has informed the National Assembly that the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) will fund the construction of Banjul-Barra Bridge through ECOWAS Corridor Project, and its feasibility studies are set to start in July, this year.

Minister Sillah made this revelation on Wednesday, June 14, 2023, during an engagement with the deputies.

Hon. Sillah said this followed their discussions with ECOWAS as part of efforts to ensuring that The Gambia benefits maximally from the ECOWAS corridor project. “Some countries have about a thousand kilometers (1000km) from one end of their country to the other as part of the ECOWAS corridor project. Having assessed the length of our Gambian borders from one end to the other, it’s about forty kilometers (40km) maximum.”

“So we have to realign with ECOWAS to include Banjul-Barra as part of the ECOWAS corridor project; to have the bridge over Banjul-Barra crossing point. Which in fact in our last meeting here in Banjul agreed that engineers will be sent next month (July) to do the initial feasibility studies,” he disclosed.

Honorable Sillah notified the parliament that during the discussion, they also thought of the inclusion of the road from the border village of Amdallai going through the Niumis and then cross to Sitanunku to Bonto where they will put the bridge over the river, and then to Mandinaba. “The second loop of this project will go through Lamin, Mandinaring and then to Brikama. All these are part of the ECOWAS corridor project and it’s all going to be dual carriage.”

This is not going to be a cost on the government, so we thought it wise to allow that high standard process to come in to cover this project rather than using The Gambia national funds. That’s why we have to do the reprioritisation and realignment.”

When asked by the NAM for Lower Saloum, Hon. Sainey Jawara about the start of the project, the minister responded that the project has since commenced from Nigeria, going through Benin, Togo, Ghana and are currently in Burkina Faso. Studies have also completed in countries like Ivory Coast and Mali, then to Dakar and The Gambia.

Asked about the mode of funding of the recent foundation stone laying projects, Hon. Sillah replied that his ministry is responsible for preparing and presenting work plans but funding is on the shoulders of the Finance Ministry.

To ease transportation across River Gambia, Minister Sillah disclosed that the government has also planned to buy two new ferries for Banjul-Barra. However, he didn’t give any specific date for the arrival of these ferries.