President Adama Barrow’s Banjul -Barra Bridge would be a massive undertaking.

A reliable insider at the Ministry of Works, Construction and Infrastructure disclosed to What’s On-Gambia that the 10km bridge will cost 750m Dollars.

“The Chinese have done their feasibility study, but they made it clear to the government that it would be a very expensive project,” said the insider.

However, he added: “If the government can’t afford it, a company can pay for it and generate revenue. That’s how most bridges are built in many countries. They build it and collect revenue for over 35 years. It has happened in Senegal. Their toll roads were built by Eiffage and they collecting revenue.”

When asked if there is any company in The Gambia that would be willing to spend 750m Dollars on a bridge, the Ministry of Works, Construction and Infrastructure insider said: “There is no company in the country that can afford it, and it requires a lot of technical work such as traffic study and a projection of traffic growth for more than three decades."

According to him, a lot of international and local companies have already expressed interest in the bridge.

President Barrow, who is currently on a nationwide tour, this week revealed that the foundation of the Banjul-Barra Bridge will be laid next year and the construction period will take approximately four years.

One of his critics in the Diaspora, Yunus Hydara wrote on Facebook: “I am encouraging my government, who claim to be a transparent one, to tell me more about the proposed construction of Banjul- Barra Bridge. I’d like to know about the source and breakdown of funding, why is it a priority and its environmental implications.”

According to him, the project must be publicly and thoroughly examined.