Welcome to Travel and the Roads once again. This week, we bring you stories from the countryside regarding our road networks. The roads are very pivotal to the existence of this country as a nation state. This country depends on its roads to ferry people, goods and services from points of request to points of need.

Barra-Laminkoto road
This road is in good condition which is no surprise as it is relatively new and it is good doing a 100km/hr without much ado. Since its completion to date, this road has been a life saver for many and virtually all Trans-Gambia traveling is now carried out on this road network. Most vans and gele gellehs prefer to ply this route against the Trans-Gambia route via Jarra Soma.

The activity of cars, vans and gelle gellehs on this route is also cause for joy for the people of my old city, Janjangbureh. This much isolated town is reaping the blessings of people, cars and goods crossing the town to Bansang and beyond. While people, cars and goods make their transit through Janjangbureh, there is commerce. There is cash flow and more importantly there is activity and movement of people, making the town alive to the beat of commerce which, to me, is the way forward to enable Janjangbureh/Georgetown to regain its lost glory and fame.


Maintenance needs on the road
The only problem on this road is that there is a need, although it is not urgent or alarming as at now, for minor and some major maintenance needed on this road. The rains did some damages and battering of the road and potholes have started forming in the middle of the road between Barra and Kerewan. The National Road Authority or whoever was handed this road after completion needs to start sorting out these minor maintenance before they become major maintenance. The longevity of the road depends on how much care and maintenance we carry out on it so as to render it durable.

The way forward on sustainability
It has been Africa's problems and The Gambia in particular, where there are always beautifully thought out projects, roads included, but the sustainability and follow-up maintenance and works have always been stumbling blocks. The Gambia Government should convene a national consultation workshop where we brainstorm on how to sustain our good projects and roads. That working document will also form an integral part to be inculcated in future projects to be implemented in this country, meaning future projects will have a budget and a mechanism that will address the sustainability of projects already implemented.