MONROVIA – Liberia’s road debate is shifting from promises to kilometers. Public Works Minister Layfette Giddings says 150 kilometers of primary roads were paved between January 2024 and August 2026. He now projects roughly 700 kilometers by 2029. The arithmetic is steep. The 2027 plan adds only 100 primary kilometers, leaving about 450 for the final two years. Giddings pairs the targets with tighter rules: milestone payments, certified progress and fewer approval steps. He also blames the previous administration for the troubled RIA road, where he says money moved before work did. Officials of that administration are yet to respond to the claims. It is said that delivery, not declarations, will decide whether this agenda holds, as THE ANALYST reports.
Public Works Minister Layfette Giddings says the government is targeting approximately 700 kilometers of paved primary roads by 2029, surpassing the 485-kilometer target under President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development, as he outlined ongoing infrastructure projects and reforms intended to strengthen accountability in Liberia’s construction sector.
Addressing the regular press briefing of the Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs and Tourism (MICAT) on Tuesday, Giddings reported that 164 kilometers of roads, comprising 150 kilometers of primary roads and 14 kilometers of urban and community roads, had been added to Liberia’s paved-road network between January 2024 and August 2026.
He said the ministry expects to exceed the road-construction targets established under the government’s development agenda, citing ongoing projects and additional works scheduled to begin during the current dry season.
According to Giddings, the government is targeting another 100 kilometers of primary roads and 91 kilometers of urban and community roads in 2027. If achieved, the additional works would increase the paved-road network beyond the original ARREST Agenda targets of 485 kilometers of primary roads and 125 kilometers of urban and community roads.
The minister said the government’s broader ambition is to reach approximately 700 kilometers of paved primary roads and more than 150 kilometers of urban and community roads by 2029. “These are not promises; they are kilometers of asphalt and concrete that Liberians are driving on today,” Giddings said, emphasizing the need to measure infrastructure development by completed work rather than political claims.
Roads Link Farmers, Schools, Markets
He also announced that the ministry expects to begin paving approximately eight kilometers of county-city streets in the coming weeks, alongside additional urban and community road projects intended to improve access within cities and surrounding communities.
Giddings described roads and bridges as essential to Liberia’s economic development, arguing that they connect farmers to markets, enable children to attend school, facilitate access to hospitals, and allow investors to reach communities where businesses can create employment.
He said the government’s infrastructure program is therefore not limited to major highways but also includes community roads, city streets, bridges, and other public infrastructure intended to improve mobility across the country.
Among the road projects highlighted were the Ganta-to-Saclepea corridor, the Saclepea-to-Tapita corridor, the Fish Town-to-Kalaboke corridor, and works extending toward southeastern Liberia.
He said construction activities were progressing on several of these routes, with additional pavement layers expected on sections that have already received earlier stages of asphalt construction.
The minister also pointed to ongoing works in and around Monrovia, including community roads, city streets, and bypasses designed to reduce congestion and improve access to residential areas.
One such intervention, he said, is the road connecting the SKD Boulevard area to Peace Island and Paco Island. Giddings said the bypass has created additional access routes for residents who previously depended on limited connections to reach the main boulevard.
He acknowledged, however, that some sections remain challenging because of the area’s hilly terrain, adding that the government intends to continue work toward improving and paving the route, with a target extending to 2028.
Inherited RIA Project Under Scrutiny
A substantial portion of the minister’s presentation focused on projects inherited from the previous administration, particularly the road project he referred to as the Roberts International Airport (RIA) project, which he described as one of the most complicated inherited infrastructure undertakings.
Giddings criticized the previous administration’s handling of the project, alleging that substantial payments had been made directly to contractors before corresponding physical work had been completed.
He said the previous government secured loans totaling approximately US$80 million (L$14.59 billion) before an additional US$21 million (L$3.83 billion) was added, bringing the amount discussed in his presentation to about US$101 million (L$18.42 billion). He argued that the project had made limited physical progress despite the substantial financial commitments.
According to the minister, the government inherited the project when it was only about five to six percent complete, with significant funds already disbursed to the contractor.
He said the arrangement complicated implementation because the contractor had received considerable advance payments without sufficient safeguards linking disbursements to verified construction milestones.
Giddings contrasted that arrangement with the current administration’s approach, under which project funds are processed through government financial-management mechanisms and released against verified milestones.
He explained that contractors must first complete agreed portions of the work, after which an independent consultant verifies and certifies the progress before payment is authorized.
The minister said the government had engaged the contractor to reorganize the project and was working to ensure that financial disbursements correspond with actual physical progress.
He also disclosed that the ministry had been working to separate the consulting and contracting arrangements to strengthen independent supervision and reduce conflicts of interest.
Although acknowledging the difficulties surrounding the project, Giddings said the government had decided against abandoning it because of its importance to a major transportation corridor used by people entering and leaving the country.
He said the administration was working with the Ministry of Finance to identify the resources required to complete the project, expressing hope that it could be finished in 2027, while acknowledging that completion could extend into 2028.
Giddings placed responsibility for the project’s initial difficulties on the previous administration’s financing and implementation arrangements, arguing that the current government had a responsibility to correct the problems and deliver the road to the public.
Freeport–St. Paul Bridge, Overpass Projects Advance
The minister also provided updates on other inherited infrastructure projects, including the Freeport-to-St. Paul Bridge project, which he said had encountered difficulties before the current administration took office.
Giddings said the contractor had received approximately US$4 million (L$729.44 million) before substantial work was completed. He said the ministry subsequently pressed the contractor to resume implementation and account for the funds already received.
According to the minister, the project is now progressing, with the government hoping to make the bridge usable by the end of the dry season. He also described plans to improve traffic movement around the nearby market area through barriers and a pedestrian crossing to reduce the risks associated with people crossing directly on the roadway.
On the SKD Boulevard and Ministerial Complex overpass project, Giddings said implementation had stalled under the previous administration but had resumed under the current government.
He reported that the project was approximately 45 percent complete and expressed hope that it could be dedicated in November, although the final completion schedule would depend on continued implementation.
The minister also highlighted the Grand Bassa Community College Bridge, which he described as a longstanding problem that was finally approaching completion.
He said the ministry was targeting mid-November for the bridge’s launch, which would restore an important connection for students and the surrounding community.
Other bridge projects mentioned included the Clay-Ashland Bridge, which he said was approximately 96 percent complete, and the Cavalla River Bridge, being constructed with support from Liberia and Côte d’Ivoire to improve the connection between Maryland County and the neighboring Ivorian territory.
Giddings said the Cavalla River crossing would provide significant economic opportunities by improving movement between the two countries and potentially supporting trade and port-related activities around Harper.
He also reported progress on several other bridges across the country, while noting that some projects continued to face construction, financing, and environmental challenges.
Warns Against Illegal Mining Near Infrastructure
Giddings raised concerns about unauthorized mining activities near bridges and other public infrastructure, warning that mining along riverbanks could undermine foundations and threaten the durability of major construction projects.
He cited the need to redesign or strengthen certain bridge components after assessments found that mining activities had affected areas where foundations and supporting structures were intended to be constructed.
The minister said some bridges had required additional engineering work because the original designs did not adequately account for the conditions created by mining along riverbanks.
He warned that if the problem continued, Liberia risked losing bridges and sections of its road network to environmental damage and weakened structural foundations.
Giddings said President Boakai had raised concerns about illegal mining and that a government task force had been established to address the issue. He called for stronger enforcement to prevent mining activities from undermining public infrastructure investments.
New Economic Corridor Planned
Beyond ongoing road and bridge projects, Giddings announced plans for a proposed 238-kilometer route known as the Liberia Legacy Economic Corridor, intended to connect Grand Bassa, Bomi, and Nimba counties. He said the project was presented to the World Bank during the institution’s 2025 spring meetings and received support for further development.
According to the minister, a US$2 million (L$364.72 million) grant is being used to finance the project’s design, with the World Bank and other international partners expected to support its implementation. Giddings said the proposed corridor would improve connections among the three counties and create opportunities for trade, investment, and other economic activities.
He argued that improved road connectivity would enable people and businesses to move more easily between the counties without relying exclusively on routes through Monrovia. The minister also highlighted the government’s continued interest in developing the coastal road corridor, which is intended to improve connectivity along the country’s southeastern coastline.
He said the government had secured support from Kuwaiti partners and the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA) for portions of the proposed corridor, while additional works remained subject to project preparation and implementation arrangements. Giddings maintained that the government’s infrastructure strategy would focus on connecting county capitals, improving community access, and supporting economic activities beyond the capital.
Public Works Introduces Payment, Contract Reforms
In addition to construction updates, Giddings outlined administrative reforms introduced at the Ministry of Public Works (MPW) to reduce delays in contractor payments and strengthen the management of public infrastructure contracts. He said contractors and suppliers had repeatedly complained about lengthy internal approval processes, prompting the ministry to review its procedures and develop standard operating procedures for internal transactions.
The reforms, formally adopted by the ministry’s management in July 2026, cover seven core processes, including the purchase of goods and services and the processing of contractor payments. According to Giddings, the changes reduced the number of approval steps from 88 to 57, a reduction of 31 steps, or approximately 35 percent.
He said the objective was to accelerate service delivery while maintaining financial oversight and ensuring that public funds are properly accounted for. The ministry has also introduced a contract-management framework intended to ensure that agreements are technically sound, legally compliant, and consistent with approved procurement documents.
Under the framework, Giddings said, contracts must clearly define the scope of work, technical specifications, and quantities involved, while responsibilities for procurement, legal review, technical certification, and payment approval must remain properly separated. He added that bank guarantees are required for applicable advance payments and that monitoring mechanisms have been introduced to track contract and guarantee expiration dates before they disrupt project implementation.
The minister said the reforms were designed to help the ministry audit its own processes before external auditors examine its records. He said contractors and consultants were briefed on the changes during the ministry’s second Efficient Service Delivery Introspective Dialogue on October 21, 2026.
Cabinet Approves Five Construction Regulations
Giddings further announced that the Cabinet had endorsed five regulations intended to improve accountability, safety, and local participation in Liberia’s construction sector. One regulation reserves contracts for laterite road construction, gravel-road maintenance, asphalt patching, and concrete-road works for Liberian-owned companies.
The minister said the measure was intended to increase opportunities for Liberian businesses to participate in the country’s infrastructure program. Another regulation establishes a contractor classification and certification system through which the ministry will assess contractors and consultants according to technical capacity, financial resources, experience, and legal compliance.
A separate regulation establishes uniform road-right-of-way measurements for different road categories, including primary, secondary, neighborhood, and rural roads. Giddings said the rules would help protect public road corridors from unauthorized construction and encroachment. He warned that individuals who unlawfully alter road infrastructure or create unauthorized access points could face fines and police action under the applicable rules.
The ministry has also introduced regulations addressing abandoned buildings and properties. Under the proposed enforcement framework outlined by Giddings, a building left unsecured or in significant disrepair for more than 12 consecutive months may be classified as abandoned.
He said owners would be given 30 days after notice to submit a remediation plan, with noncompliance attracting a proposed monthly fee of US$500 (L$91,180). After six months, the ministry, working with the Ministry of Justice, could pursue demolition or compulsory acquisition, subject to due process, fair compensation where applicable, and judicial review.
Giddings said abandoned buildings in Monrovia posed safety, sanitation, and drainage problems, citing cases in which wastewater had been improperly connected to drainage systems. He argued that Liberia did not need to build an entirely new capital to improve urban conditions but could rehabilitate existing areas through better regulation, maintenance, and enforcement.
The fifth regulation addresses private citizens and organizations seeking to finance and implement public infrastructure projects. Giddings said such projects must receive the necessary approval from the MPW, including approval of designs and technical supervision to ensure compliance with established standards.
He warned that individuals or institutions could not simply undertake public construction without authorization, emphasizing that government oversight was necessary to protect public safety and ensure that projects met approved specifications. The minister said the reforms were intended to improve the quality of infrastructure, strengthen public accountability, and create a more predictable operating environment for contractors and investors.
Giddings concluded by reaffirming the government’s commitment to expanding Liberia’s road network and completing inherited projects, saying the ministry would continue to work with contractors, financial institutions, and international partners to advance the country’s infrastructure development program. He maintained that the success of the government’s road agenda would ultimately depend on delivering completed, durable roads and bridges that improve the movement of people and goods, support economic activity, and connect communities across Liberia.