Basse-Vellingara Road Reaches Advanced Stage

Reconstruction work on a road that links the provincial town of Basse in the Upper River Region (URR) and the border village of Vellingara in Senegal has now reached an advanced stage with contractors putting on the final touches. 

The European Union (EU) funded project has been under implementation for a while now and the residents of the area have been looking up to its timely completion.

It would be recalled that in September, 2013 during a visit to the area by the minister of Transport, Works and Infrastructure, he tasked contractors working on the stretch to expedite the work with a view to ensure that the project finishes on the stipulated timeframe.

Speaking to the Daily Observer Monday in an interview, the governor of the region, Omar Sampo Ceesay, expressed delight with the progress made on the project. He thanked President Jammeh for his development-oriented nature, describing him as a “God-given leader who has come to solve the problems of the people”. “The work is in progress and the contractor (CSE) is on the final touches of the construction, which is one of the most difficult aspects of the work,” he added.

He said the contractor in collaboration with the consultant and the government through the Ministry of Works has been pushing very hard to ensure that the work is done as expected. He pointed out that the road is very important for the people of Basse in that it will create employment opportunities for the young people and boost economic activities in the provincial town. 

Expressing hope that the entire reconstruction will be completed before the end of March this year, Governor Ceesay thanked the government under the leadership of President Jammeh for the unprecedented developments brought to the region. “President Jammeh and his government have done a lot for the people of URR and I want to urge the locals to be more loyal and supportive to him so that he can achieve his aims and objectives,” he remarked.

Prior to its reconstruction, the URR governor indicated that the road was one of the main concerns of the people in the area, expressing delight that the government and its partners have intervened to alleviate the problem.

By-pass road

The governor also commented on the by-pass road being implemented in Basse, noting that it will create new avenues for infrastructural and residential developments in the area. “It has created a new settlement for the people of Basse,” he told the Daily Observer.

The governor, who expressed optimism that more developments will come to the region in the coming years, was also unequivocal in urging the people in the area to be more united and support the government of President Jammeh in its bid to deliver to the taxpayers. “The more united we are, the stronger we will become,” he stressed. 

Several other residents of the community, who spoke to the Daily Observer, thanked the government and its partners for coming to their aid.