Julius Maada Bio, president of Sierra Leone, and a representative of POWERCHINA attend the groundbreaking ceremony.
A groundbreaking ceremony was held in Sierra Leone for the third lot of the rural bridge project, undertaken by POWERCHINA, on April 17.
Julius Maada Bio, president of Sierra Leone, attended the ceremony with his wife. He also delivered a speech, in which he noted that the project is a major engineering project for improving people’s livelihood in Sierra Leone.
Building a bridge over the Sewa River has been a top priority for local residents as manual ferries were the only form of transport availability. In addition, the rise of the water level in the rainy season worsened the situation.
"The government will provide necessary support for the construction. It’s believed that POWERCHINA can complete the project as soon as possible to benefit locals,"Maada Bio noted.
On April 3, POWERCHINA signed the contract with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Sierra Leone on the second and third lot sections of the project, which is located in Matru Jong Port of Bonthe district and Gendema Port in Kenema district respectively.
POWERCHINA is responsible for the design and construction of two two-way-lane rural bridges, which will also have sidewalks, offering a transportation alternative to manual ferries.
Upon its completion, the bridges will improve the area's transportation network and facilitate travel for local residents. The project is also expected to boost the agriculture and trade in services industries, which will boost local economic and social development.
