Dampha,

Even though I have told you the length of the roads that the AFPRC/APRC government have already built or are presently building, you are still asking the same silly questions. What is the length of the roads, what plans, what have been pledged etc, etc. I will try to answer these questions for the final time and also set the record straight about the Banjul streets.

The Kombo Coastal highway comprises of a network of five roads called KC1 to KC5. KC1 stretches from Senegambia Hotel to Brufut through Bijilo. KC2 is from Sukuta to Kartong through Brufut and Tanje. KC3 is from Kartong to Brikama. KC4 is from Brikama to Jambanjelly through Sanyang. KC5 is from intersection near Tanje where KC1, KC2 and KC5 meet and ends at the airport. This intersection is a huge roundabout. With the exception of KC4, which is being tarred right now, all the others are in use. The total length of the road network is 80 Km, which also includes a 45-Metre bridge at Tanje. These are a network of first-class roads that are the only ones in the GBA that have Cats' eyes.

The Essau to Kerewan road, whose actual length I do not know, is fully operational and includes the longest bridge in The Gambia over the Miniminiyang Bolong (350 Metres long).

The construction of the Westfield to Mandinaba road started from Mandinaba end to allow Gamtel and NAWEC to relocate their existing infrastructure such as poles and Manholes that are between Brikama and Westfield from the right of way. They are right now in Lamin Village. This stretch from beyond the airport to Westfield is a dual carriageway that is 26 Metres wide with drainage and streetlights all the way. This road could have been completed a long time back had it not been for the complex negotiations for the compensation of those whose properties would be affected as well as the high cost and complexity of relocating the existing infrastructures of the utility companies. This stretch of road is 26 Km long.

The stretch from Mandinba to Soma is under construction right now and a few kilometers have already been done. I do not know the exact distance but that is irrelevant to me as long as the road reaches Soma.

The Senegambia to Camalo (Stink Corner) road has already been constructed and the installation of streetlights along it has already started. Again, the distance is not important to me since we all know that area of The Gambia.

The provision of streetlights throughout the Tourism development area to deter muggers from mugging tourists is also in progress.

The contractor for the Fara Feni to Lamin Koto road has already started transporting their equipment to the construction site and is constructing their headquarters. These headquarters are normally converted to schools or clinics when the contractors hand over the projects to government. Again, I do not know the actual distance and that is irrelevant as far as I am concerned. The Trans-Gambia road is also to be constructed in tandem with the Fara Feni to Lamin Koto road to cater for the increased traffic at the Fara Feni Ferry crossing.

The EU has pledged to fund the resurfacing of the Soma to Basse road this year and that pledge is good enough for me.

The Lamin Koto to Passimass road that the former government had been dithering over for more than a decade has been constructed a few years back.

Finally, when you said that the streets of Banjul were constructed pre-1994, you know full well that that is a blatant lie. All those roads were constructed post-1994! I know this because my former assistant, Mr. Laja Roberts, and myself were part of the co-coordinating committee set up to harmonize the provision of underground ducts for the distribution of Gamtel’s network, to avoid the need to cut across them after they have been constructed. The consultants were TAMS consultancy; the principal Engineer and project manger at the time was Mr. Mustapha Leigh, now Director of Technical Services at the then Ministry of works and the supervisor was Malang Jammeh. These roads, my friend, were not even finished by the end of 1995.

For the purpose of this arguement, I will not even bother to list the other dozens of roads and bridges that have been constructed throughout the country.

This, Dampha, is the APRC record on the construction of roads!!!!!

Other parts would follow later.

 Have a good day, Gassa.