Gambian President Adama Barrow expressed his gratitude for the support from China in constructing the Basse bridge and roads, as officials of the construction company have affirmed that the project would be completed in August 2021.
Adama Barrow (right) visits the construction site of Basse-Koina road in 2018, which is a part of Basse bridge project. (Photo: Agencies)
According to The Point, the bridge and roads are expected to connect communities, goods and services of the districts in the region. This is the first major project between China and Gambia since Barrow took office, and the first road project in the history of bilateral cooperation between the two countries.
“I want to thank the people of China and the personnel currently constructing the bridge. We are very proud of you. This project will make a huge difference in the lives of Gambians,” Barrow said. “This is huge for me, and it's historic. For my five-year term, even if this was my only project, I think we have done enough to make Gambian people proud.”
The bridge, which is 80% complete, is expected to provide easy access for people around the Laminkoto-Passamas road. Barrow comes from this area, grew up here and used to cross the river using small boats. He said after the completion of the bridge, communities around the area won’t need to use the south bank road to travel to Farafenni. They can just cross the bridge and use the Laminkoto-Passamas road, which is 70 kilometers shorter than the south route.
“We are making history today. Nobody thought that this area would be constructed. However, today everybody has seen us crossing this bridge. This is a fact that nobody will dispute. I want to sincerely thank you for the good work that is ongoing here. This is huge for the people of this area and key for the people of Gambia. It’s connecting the north and the south of Upper River Region on trade, communication and health, and even the sub-region.”
“People who doubted us before won’t doubt us today. This is not a dream but a reality,” Barrow said.
(Compiled by Yang Jiaqi)