Cardno GM says $24.5M Liberia Construction Project is ‘Road to Success’
On June 2, Cardno launched a $24.5 million project to construct 450km of roadways in rural Liberia.
The Feeder Roads Alternative and Maintenance Program (FRAMP), funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development, will work in four of the most populous counties for four years.
“Cardno will – through this program – help to create jobs, improve livelihoods and increase access to essential markets and services,” Cardno General Manager Mark Swatek said on his first visit to Liberia.
Liberia’s high rainfall – five meters annually – can wash out well-built gravel roads. But 90 percent of the country’s roadways are unpaved.
Feeder roads provide rural communities critical access to health care, education, markets and basic social services. Limited road access to such services has an impact on local economy.
Farmers face unpredictable road conditions that affect their ability to sell their produce and provide for their families. The challenges of transporting goods across existing roadways also increases the costs of imported goods.
“We have the passion, courage and commitment to make a positive difference,” Swatek said. “This holds true for all of our work on this program in Liberia.”
The project will not only build roads, but also develop a community-driven maintenance system for sustaining the progress, and train local construction firms, engineers and city planners to manage the network of roads.
“We take the time to be innovative,” Swatek said. “And this program will be testing and utilizing some of the most cutting-edge road construction methods that we know of.”
FRAMP is part of Cardno’s ongoing and long-term commitment to working in Liberia. Cardno is also providing technical assistance to Liberia’s Ministries of Health and Public Works.
