The initiative is meant to create easy access to hospitals, schools and farm lands in this farming community. The community faces with three major problems namely proper waterway, lack of electricity and the poor state of their feeder road which is 8km away from the main highway.
It is against this backdrop that NRA under the leadership of the deputy managing director, Sulayman Sumareh Janneh recently paid a visit to the site and other implemented projects in the Central River and Lower River Regions.
The newly built culvert, which is contracted to a Gambian-owned Construction Company (OMCY Construction Enterprise), started in mid-July 2023, and is set to be completed and handed over in December 2023.
The construction of the culvert which is 20m long and 10m wide was welcomed with joy by the people of Kataba,
Reacting to the development, residents of Kataba heaped praise and thanks to the NRA for the initiative, which according to them, made life unbearable for them in the past.
Sulayman Sumareh Janneh, the deputy managing director NRA, stated that the culvert was constructed out of the road fund given to the NRA on yearly basis to assist communities in need.
“The community has many villages which were cut apart by the existence of the heavy flowing waterway and they had nothing to use to cross over to the other part with.”
NRA deputy managing director noted that they have heard cries made about children trying to make it to school, forcing themselves to cross the heavy flowing water and virtually get washed away and end up losing their lives.
Omar Jobe, National Assembly Member for Niani Constituency, said the importance of the culvert in his constituency (in Kataba community) cannot be over emphasised.
He added that the heavy flowing waterway has caused few fatalities in the community, saying the initiative will not only benefit the people of Kataba, but its surrounding villages.
He thus urged NRA to assist them in constructing their feeder road which connects them to the highway, while also urging other partners to help them with hospital and electricity in the community
Omar Ceesay, managing director of OMY Construction Enterprise also expressed similar sentiments.
He hailed NRA for empowering Gambian youth, further expressing optimism that the project will be completed before the end of November 2023.
Alagie Pierre Bah, Chief of Niani, Fatou Seck and Alkali Morr Taal, thanked the National Roads Authority (NRA) for currently building what they thought was never going to be in their community.
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