The Sierra Leonean government signed two construction contracts covering four bridges on Friday, 16 October in Freetown, aimed at improving links between rural areas and agricultural markets, local outlet Sierraloaded reported.
The joint venture Matiere and Secon will build the structures at Komrabai, in Tonkolili district, and Kabba, in Karene district. China Railway Seventh Group will build those at Sumbuya, in Bo district, and Moselolo, in Moyamba district, according to the account of the ceremony.
The bridges are to replace ferry crossings operated by hand-pulled ferries or dugout canoes. Their design aims to keep people moving despite flooding and heavy rain, in order to facilitate the transport of agricultural produce and access to schools and health centres.
These works form part of the Agricultural Market Connectivity and Infrastructure Project, for which the World Bank approved on 29 May 2024 a grant of $74 million from the International Development Association. The envelope covers a range of investments in transport and markets, including in Freetown.
When approving the financing, the World Bank estimated that only a third of the rural population had access to an all-season road network. It stressed that transport difficulties were holding back agricultural productivity and that the planned market improvements were expected to help reduce post-harvest losses.
The institution projected around two million rural beneficiaries in the four districts concerned. This estimate covers the bridges, their connecting roads and the project's market infrastructure.