By Nelson Manneh
The National Roads Authority (NRA) has responded to residents’ long-standing frustration by carrying out repairs on the notoriously poor “scrape road” in Churchill’s Town. Commuters, who have endured significant delays and vehicle damage, are already experiencing a smoother and faster journey. The NRA’s timely intervention has brought much-needed relief to the busy Westfield-to-Churchill’s junction.
The stretch of road, known for its deep potholes, was a daily ordeal for drivers and a source of frustration for the community. For years, temporary fixes by community youths were quickly undone by seasonal rains, but the NRA’s repairs are expected to provide a lasting solution to the problem.
As darkness fell on Thursday evening, officers from the NRA and the contracted company assembled at Churchill’s Town to repair the long-standing poor road. The contractor used modern road construction equipment to fix the road within eight hours.
The Gambia Roads and Technical Services Authority Act, 2003 established the NRA, its Board of Directors, and the national Road Fund to be used exclusively to finance road projects. The Act also established a Road Fund under the Authority, which shall be used exclusively to finance road projects.
The road at the Churchill’s Town junction in Serekunda was notoriously bad due to severe potholes and poor drainage. During the rainy season, the area is prone to extensive flooding, which further damages the road and disrupts traffic. The main issue is a series of severe potholes at the Churchill’s main junction. This small, heavily used stretch of road causes significant traffic congestion and is difficult for all vehicles to pass, including four-wheel-drive vehicles.
Inadequate drainage systems, combined with heavy rains, cause frequent and severe flooding in Churchill’s Town and surrounding areas like Tallinding. The rainwater washes away temporary repairs, leaving the road in a constantly poor state. The deplorable road conditions force vehicles to slow to a crawl to avoid damage, creating bottlenecks and delaying commutes, particularly for those traveling from the Westfield area.
The poor road quality has led to vehicle breakdowns at the junction, with residents reporting damage to their cars. Frustrated community youths have attempted to fix the road themselves by filling the potholes with sand and stones. These efforts are quickly undone by the rains.
Mr. Sulayman Sumareh Janneh, Acting Managing Director at the NRA, said his office was aware of the challenges commuters face, especially during the early hours when people are struggling to go to work, after closure of work, and whenever it rains.
“Gambians should understand that the way they use the road is the same way all of us use it. Therefore, we will not sit in our offices and allow everybody to suffer from a problem that we have all it takes to fix,” he said.
MD Sumareh Janneh said the condition of the Churchill’s Town road was bad because of water lodging and also because the road has reached the end of its durability. “We have now come up with measures on road maintenance. There are many instances where we do need to redo a whole road. All we need to do is to constantly maintain it and it will serve its purpose.”
He said the NRA also faces challenges in terms of funding its projects because they have a lot of work to do, with roads to construct and others to maintain.
“As far as the resources are available, the NRA is ready to go to any extent to make sure that Gambians are served. With regards to the Churchill’s Town drainage system, this is a project of its own. We need to look at the whole process holistically and make sure that it is fixed once and for all because whenever it rains, waters come from different directions and are packed here,” he noted.
Mrs. Maimuna Camara, a vendor who sells at the Serrekunda Market but lives at Lamin Village, said every day she leaves home by 5:00 am just because of the traffic. “If you reach Latrikunda by 6:00 am, if you don’t mind, you will reach Serrekunda Market by 7:00 pm. This is because the traffic is always bad. You can spend more than an hour within this short distance.
“The condition of the road at Churchill’s Town was too bad; vehicles have to ply the road cautiously in order to prevent their vehicles from being damaged. This is what causes traffic congestion, especially when it rains,” she said.
She commended the NRA for their swift response in making sure that the road is transformed into a more usable one than it used to be.
