By Ragan M. Conteh
Passers-by and those plying along the Freetown- Masiaka via Makeni, have continued to heap praises on President Julius Maada Bio for the strides made so far to take robust action to construct a new Magbelay bridge.
Magbelay bridge has been neglected and abandoned by the former APC government under former President, Ernest Bai Koroma who served for 10 years as President.
The former President has been crossing the dilapidated bridge to and from his home town Makeni, until his APC party government was booted out from governance in 2018.
Over the years, the bridge has continuously caused inconveniences for travelers, especially so when trucks and trailers collapsed on the bridge causing traffic hold-ups along the route, as the bridge links major towns and cities in that part of the country that requires urgent attention from the state.
The decision by the New Direction government to construct the much needed bridge has been lauded by many indigenes of northern Sierra Leone.
They described the move by the new government as a step in the right direction while many applauded President Bio whom they perceived as “tok en do” President who came in governance not to segregate Sierra Leoneans but to ensure equal share of the national cake.
According to the contractors, the bridge when completed in the not too distance future, will be of enormous benefit, especially the ease on traffic hold-ups and the fast movement of vehicles to and from the provinces.
In a similar development, President Bio recently commissioned the newly constructed Sengbe Pieh Memorial Bridge in Freetown.
The 1.8 meters bridge was built in five months for less than $2.4 million with support from governments of the People’s Republic of China and Sierra Leone.