Bio Commissions Manowa Bridge to Link Communities in Eastern Sierra Leone

President Julius Maada Bio has commissioned the Manowa Bridge over the Moa River in Peje Bongre Chiefdom, Kailahun District, in a project expected to improve transport and economic activity in eastern Sierra Leone.

The two-lane bridge was formally opened on 20 June 2026 at Manowa Town. It was built through the World Bank-supported Smallholder Commercialisation and Agribusiness Development Project, known as SCADeP.

The crossing replaces a longstanding manual cable ferry that communities on both sides of the river had relied on. According to the State House Media and Communications Unit, the former ferry service affected access to markets, healthcare, education and other essential services.

Improved regional access

The bridge is expected to strengthen links between Peje Bongre and Upper Bambara Chiefdoms, while improving movement across Kpeje West, Upper Bambara, Penguia and Luawa Chiefdoms.

Officials say the new infrastructure should reduce travel time and transportation costs. It is also expected to support the movement of agricultural produce from eastern Sierra Leone and create additional opportunities for farmers and traders.

“Today, that changes. Today, we commission the Manowa Bridge, a modern, all-weather crossing that replaces uncertainty with reliability, isolation with connection, and delay with opportunity,” Bio said at the ceremony. “This bridge is a declaration that no Sierra Leonean should be disadvantaged because of where they live.”

The President also said the Government had secured a US$30 million World Bank grant in 2020 to replace seven manual ferry crossings nationwide with modern bridges. He announced that four bridges under the programme had been completed: Manowa, Mattru-Senehun, Gendema and Tomparie.

Expected agricultural benefits

Abdu Muwonge, the World Bank Country Manager, said farmers in the region were expected to generate more than US$7 million in annual agricultural turnover after completion of the bridge.

He said the project was expected to reduce post-harvest losses, improve access to markets in Sierra Leone and neighbouring Guinea, and strengthen trade and connectivity across the region. These figures and outcomes are projections rather than reported results from the bridge’s operation.

Bio said the crossing would make it easier for residents to reach essential services and for farmers to transport crops, including cocoa, oil palm, rice and cassava.

“Through our partnership with the World Bank under SCADeP, we committed ourselves to replacing unreliable ferry crossings with resilient bridge infrastructure that can serve communities safely throughout the year,” the President said.

First Lady Fatima Maada Bio described the bridge as a further demonstration of the President’s commitment to national development and inclusive growth.