Residents of Tartweh in District #1 Sinoe County are urgently appealing to their elected representative, Hon. Thomas Romeo Quioh, to take immediate steps following the complete collapse of the Plasion Tartweh Bridge ~ a vital structure that once connected the community to essential services, healthcare, and trade.
With the bridge now impassable, the remote community has been left isolated. Locals are forced to use makeshift and dangerous methods to cross the river, often at great financial and personal risk. According to few residents in the areas, pedestrians are charged L$500 crossing, while motorcyclists must pay 1,500 LD to navigate the treacherous route.
“The situation is unbearable,” a resident told Verity News. “People are risking their lives and paying huge sums just to cross the river.”
Healthcare workers report dire conditions, with critical medical supplies being ferried across the river on foot. Pregnant women, children, and the elderly are especially vulnerable, as patients requiring emergency care must be carried across in unsafe conditions.
The crisis has reignited frustration over longstanding unfulfilled promises. In 2014, Golden Veroleum Liberia (GVL) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to develop key infrastructure, including a clinic, in the Tartweh-Drapoh Chiefdom. However, residents say the company has failed to deliver. A temporary clinic established in October 2023 remains unopened.
Now, community members are demanding accountability. They are urging Hon. Quioh to fulfill his constitutional duties by ensuring immediate repairs or replacement of the bridge and holding both government officials and companies accountable for years of infrastructural neglect.
“This is more than an inconvenience,” said one community leader. “It is a humanitarian crisis that deserves immediate attention.”
Tartweh’s plight echoes similar struggles across southeastern Liberia. Communities in River Gee and Grand Kru counties have faced comparable hardships due to collapsing bridges and impassable roads, especially as the rainy season sets in.
Residents warn that without swift intervention, the situation will continue to deteriorate, putting more lives at risk. They are calling on both local and national authorities to act urgently to restore access and ensure long-term infrastructure development.
As rains continue to fall and isolation deepens, the people of Tartweh wait for more than promises ~ I think they wait for action.
