ZWEDRU, Grand Gedeh County — The deteriorating condition of the Ganta–Zwedru Highway has left hundreds of vehicles and travelers stranded for more than a week, disrupting commerce, delaying medical referrals and making travel to and from southeastern Liberia increasingly difficult.
By Franklin Doloquee
The worst-affected stretch between Toe Town and Zwedru, particularly around Duoyee Town, has become impassable in several areas, forcing motorists to abandon their journeys or seek lengthy alternative routes through neighboring Ivory Coast.
More than 200 vehicles are reportedly stranded at Duoyee and other points along the corridor, with drivers and passengers facing shortages of food, water and shelter.
The crisis has also affected government officials, traders, families traveling for funerals and medical appointments, and other passengers attempting to reach Grand Gedeh County.
Officials, Travelers Turned Back
Several government officials and invited guests, including Unity Party Executive Mo Ali and Deputy Education Minister Amos Fulay, reportedly encountered difficulties traveling to Grand Gedeh University’s historic convocation after their vehicles became stuck in the mud.
A separate convoy traveling from Monrovia toward southeastern Liberia was also forced to turn back near Ganta after encountering the impassable road.
One senior official described spending the night along the roadside with only the belongings passengers could carry.
“There are elderly persons and children among us; many are exhausted and worried about medical needs,” the official said.
Drivers Lee C. Jackson and Jallah Doe told FrontPage Africa that they and other motorists had spent more than a week struggling to navigate the damaged road, with little progress.
Travelers Ashmed Mill, Esther Myres, Erica Johnson and Wallace Nelson Mandela Quoi, who were traveling from Ganta, also reported being stranded near Toe Town for days.
“We are tired and hungry,” one traveler told FrontPage Africa, adding that passengers with children and elderly relatives were particularly vulnerable.
Eyewitness photographs show long lines of buses, pickup trucks and private cars backed up along the affected route. Some passengers have reportedly slept beside their vehicles or sought shelter under trees and in nearby bushes.
Ivory Coast Detour Adds Costs
With the direct highway route severely disrupted, some motorists are taking a lengthy detour through Nimba County, crossing into Ivory Coast at Loguatuo before re-entering Liberia to reach Grand Gedeh.
The alternative route has increased travel time and transportation costs while creating additional complications at border crossings.
Motorcycles have also become a major means of transportation for people attempting to travel between affected communities, despite the dangerous conditions.
Fares from Ganta to Zwedru can exceed LRD 4,000 per passenger, placing the journey beyond the reach of many residents.
The damaged paths and muddy terrain also increase the risk of accidents for motorcycle riders and passengers.
Food Prices, Medical Supplies Under Pressure
The disruption is affecting businesses and households across southeastern Liberia as supply vehicles struggle to reach Zwedru and surrounding communities.
Traders report shortages of staple goods, while some vendors have turned to Ivory Coast to replenish their stocks at additional transportation and border-related costs.
Joanna K. Fehn, a food vendor in Zwedru, told FrontPage Africa that a 25-kilogram bag of rice previously sold for LRD 2,500 now costs as much as LRD 3,000 at some stalls.
Health services are also facing challenges, with reports of dwindling medicine supplies and difficulties transporting emergency patients to better-equipped hospitals.
Health workers have warned that patients requiring urgent surgery and those managing chronic illnesses could face heightened risks if transportation and supply disruptions continue.
Residents Demand Urgent Intervention
Residents and stranded motorists have criticized what they describe as a slow response to the highway crisis, calling for heavy equipment and emergency repair crews to restore access.
“These roads are our lifeline; when they fail, the whole region suffers,” one long-haul truck driver said.
Local authorities say assessment and emergency repair teams are working to restore limited passage, but no firm timeline has been announced for reopening the highway to regular traffic.
Officials have reportedly been coordinating with national ministries to secure resources for urgent repairs. However, the extent of the damage, shortages of construction materials, and continuing rainfall are complicating the response.
The situation has renewed scrutiny of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s previous pledge that Liberians would not be left stranded in the mud.
Residents are now calling on the national government and its partners to accelerate road repairs and provide immediate assistance to stranded passengers.
Calls For Humanitarian Assistance
Beyond road repairs, affected residents say stranded travelers urgently need food, clean drinking water, temporary shelter and medical assistance.
They are also calling for fuel and transportation support to facilitate critical deliveries of medicines and other essential goods, alongside affordable transport options for vulnerable passengers.
The highway disruption has exposed the vulnerability of southeastern Liberia’s transportation links, with consequences extending beyond travel delays to food supplies, healthcare access and economic activity.
Unless emergency repairs restore reliable passage, residents fear the humanitarian and economic costs will continue to rise.