EYESORE!
POTHOLES TAKE OVER SIERRA LEONE ROADS
By Ibrahim Alusine Kamara (Kamalo)
Sierra Leone’s deteriorating road network is becoming a growing national concern, as dangerous potholes continue to overwhelm major highways, township roads and critical transportation corridors, raising serious questions about the effectiveness, priorities and accountability of the Sierra Leone Roads Authority (SLRA) and the Road Maintenance Fund Administration (RMFA).
From the busy streets of Freetown to the strategic Bo-Kenema and Makeni highways, the worsening condition of several important roads has become a source of frustration for motorists, commercial transport operators, traders and ordinary citizens who depend on these routes for their daily activities.
What should ordinarily be safe and accessible transportation corridors are increasingly being described as hazardous stretches of broken asphalt, deep potholes and deteriorating road surfaces, with growing concerns about road safety, vehicle damage, transportation costs and the apparent failure of responsible institutions to undertake timely maintenance.
Particularly disturbing is the condition of the Old Road in the eastern part of Freetown, which residents say has remained in a deplorable state for more than seven years, despite repeated public complaints and appeals for government intervention.
For communities along this important transportation corridor, the prolonged deterioration has become a symbol of what critics describe as institutional neglect and the government’s apparent inability to address basic infrastructure challenges affecting ordinary Sierra Leoneans.
The road, which serves densely populated communities and facilitates the movement of commercial vehicles, public transportation and pedestrians, has reportedly continued to deteriorate without the comprehensive rehabilitation residents have long demanded.
Motorists navigating the affected sections are frequently forced to slow down, manoeuvre around potholes or divert into opposing traffic lanes, creating potentially dangerous situations for other road users.
During the rainy season, the situation becomes even more worrying, as potholes fill with muddy water, concealing their depth and exposing unsuspecting drivers, motorcyclists and pedestrians to additional hazards.
For commercial drivers, the consequences extend beyond inconvenience. Repeated exposure to damaged road surfaces can result in punctured tyres, broken suspension systems, increased fuel consumption and costly vehicle repairs, expenses that may ultimately be transferred to passengers through higher transportation charges.
Yet, despite the obvious importance of the Old Road to transportation and economic activities in eastern Freetown, residents complain that the authorities have failed to demonstrate the urgency required to restore it to an acceptable condition.
The situation is equally troubling along sections of the Bo-Kenema highway, one of the country’s important economic corridors linking major provincial communities and supporting the movement of agricultural produce, passengers and commercial goods.
Concerns about potholes and deteriorating sections of this highway have raised questions about the adequacy of routine maintenance and the long-term sustainability of the country’s road infrastructure.
The Makeni highway, another strategically important transportation route, has also come under criticism over reported deterioration in sections of its road surface.
These concerns are particularly significant because highways are not merely transportation facilities; they are essential economic arteries connecting farmers to markets, businesses to customers and communities to essential services.
When such roads deteriorate, the consequences can extend to agricultural productivity, trade, emergency transportation and the overall cost of doing business.
However, nowhere does the frustration appear more pronounced than in Freetown, where numerous township roads are reportedly struggling under the weight of prolonged neglect, inadequate drainage and deteriorating surfaces.
Across parts of the capital, motorists and residents complain that potholes have become an almost permanent feature of daily transportation, leaving many questioning whether effective road maintenance remains a priority for the responsible authorities.
At the centre of the growing controversy are the SLRA and RMFA, two institutions whose respective responsibilities are critical to the maintenance and sustainability of Sierra Leone’s road network.
The SLRA is responsible for important aspects of road development, management and maintenance, while the RMFA plays a central role in mobilising and administering funding for road maintenance activities.
Their responsibilities have therefore attracted increased public scrutiny, particularly as road users continue to question why significant sections of the country’s road infrastructure remain in poor condition.
The central question is no longer simply whether potholes exist, but why known road defects are allegedly allowed to worsen over extended periods without adequate preventive maintenance or lasting rehabilitation.
Critics argue that a functioning road maintenance system should identify and address defects before they develop into extensive structural damage requiring significantly greater public expenditure.
They also question whether the institutions responsible for road maintenance are receiving sufficient funding, whether available resources are being efficiently utilised and whether contractors are being adequately supervised to ensure value for money.
These questions are particularly relevant to the RMFA, given its mandate to support road maintenance through dedicated funding arrangements.
Members of the public are increasingly demanding greater transparency regarding the funds allocated to road maintenance, the specific projects financed, the contractors engaged and the measurable results achieved.
There are also growing calls for the SLRA to publicly explain its maintenance priorities, particularly regarding roads that have reportedly remained in poor condition for several years.
The condition of the Old Road in eastern Freetown presents an especially important test of institutional responsiveness.
If residents’ accounts of more than seven years of deterioration are accurate, serious questions arise about why a road serving thousands of commuters has not received the sustained intervention necessary to address its condition.
The prolonged deterioration also raises broader concerns about the relationship between government infrastructure announcements and the realities confronting ordinary citizens.
Although the administration of President Julius Maada Bio has repeatedly emphasised infrastructure development as part of its national development agenda, critics contend that the condition of many existing roads exposes a troubling gap between official pronouncements and practical maintenance delivery.
For these critics, the issue is not merely about constructing new roads or announcing ambitious infrastructure programmes, but ensuring that existing national assets are adequately maintained and protected from premature deterioration.
They argue that road infrastructure development cannot be measured solely by groundbreaking ceremonies, project launches or political publicity, while important highways and township roads continue to deteriorate.
Indeed, some frustrated road users have characterised the government’s approach as one dominated by publicity and promises rather than sustained maintenance, although the extent of completed and ongoing works requires examination against official project and expenditure records.
The broader implications for national development cannot be overstated.
Poor road conditions can undermine investment, increase the cost of transporting agricultural produce, delay commercial activities and expose motorists and pedestrians to avoidable safety risks.
For a country seeking to strengthen food security, stimulate economic growth and improve connectivity between urban and rural communities, the continued deterioration of important transportation corridors represents a challenge that demands urgent attention.
The situation also raises questions about institutional accountability and whether sufficient monitoring mechanisms exist to ensure that road maintenance interventions are delivered according to established standards.
As public frustration mounts, the SLRA and RMFA face growing pressure to provide clear explanations regarding their maintenance programmes, funding constraints and plans for addressing the most severely affected roads.
Among the questions requiring answers are how much money has been allocated and disbursed for road maintenance in recent years, which highways and township roads have benefited from those funds, and why important routes such as the Old Road in eastern Freetown reportedly remain in deplorable condition.
There is also a need to establish whether the deterioration results primarily from inadequate financing, poor construction quality, weak drainage systems, excessive vehicle loads, ineffective contractor supervision or failures in maintenance planning.
Without credible answers and measurable interventions, public confidence in the institutions responsible for safeguarding the country’s road infrastructure risks further erosion.
While the government may point to completed and ongoing road construction projects as evidence of infrastructure progress, such achievements do not eliminate the need to maintain existing roads or respond promptly to dangerous defects.
For residents of eastern Freetown, motorists travelling along the Bo-Kenema and Makeni highways, and communities affected by deteriorating township roads, the demand is straightforward: safer roads, effective maintenance and greater accountability for public resources.
The growing pothole crisis has therefore become more than an infrastructure complaint. It is increasingly a test of governance, public expenditure priorities and the government’s ability to deliver essential services that directly affect the daily lives of citizens.
As the condition of several major roads continues to generate public concern, the SLRA, RMFA and the Ministry of Works and Public Assets are being challenged to move beyond assurances and demonstrate tangible, sustainable action.
For many frustrated Sierra Leoneans, the question remains painfully simple: How much longer must motorists risk their lives and damage their vehicles on deteriorating roads before the responsible authorities take decisive action?
