Government has set 2028 as the target to complete construction works on the Roberts International Airport (RIA) road.
The pronouncement came in the wake of delays due primarily to funding concerns, and questions over the pace of construction.
Public Works Minister Roland Giddings says, the government has worked behind the scene to accelerate progress on the road, which connects Monrovia to the main international airport.
While announcing the 2028 completion target, Giddings placed much of the blame for the project’s slow progress on the former Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) administration.
Giddings made the disclosure on Tuesday, July 21, during an interview with a radio station in Monrovia, where he discussed government’s plans for the RIA road and challenges confronting the road infrastructure sector.
Giddings: “The current administration inherited a project that was poorly structured, and inadequately prepared, creating challenges that government is attempting to resolve.”
He alleged that the previous government failed to establish the necessary groundwork for the project, a situation he said, attributed to delays, and slowed the implementation of construction activities.
Giddings’ criticism raises questions about why the current administration is targeting 2028 for completion when the project has already consumed significant time and public resources under successive governments.
He further alleged that the management of funds allocated to the RIA road project during the former administration was questionable, claiming that money was “improperly disbursed to contractors.”
Giddings said, government is auditing the project to determine how funds were used, and whether financial resources allocated for the road were properly managed.
He did not disclose the amount of money allegedly mismanaged, provide details of the improper disbursements, or identify the contractors involved in the financial concerns.
The lack of specific details could fuel further public debate over the allegations, particularly as taxpayers continue to demand transparency regarding major government-funded infrastructure projects.
The RIA road has remained a subject of public concern, because of delays and the slow pace of construction, with motorists and communities along the route continuing to face the consequences of an unfinished major highway.
Beyond the RIA road, Giddings renewed his call for the National Road Fund to operate independently.
He argued that the current arrangement does not provide the level of financial certainty needed to sustain the road development agenda.
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