South Sudan's Western Bahr el Ghazal State in collaboration with the Eyat Roads and Bridges Construction Company, Tuesday commissioned the construction of 500 kilometers of tarmac road linking South Sudan with the neighboring Central African Republic and Sudan. 

Addressing the press during the launch, the company's Managing Director Engineer Daniel Wani said the construction will take 40 months to be completed. 

"This road has been planned for quite a long time although Eyat build this road before. We are now coming back for the second time, this time around, we are going to tarmac the road,” said Wani. “Our role is to build it safe for you so that you don’t have accidents on the road, you drive safely and reach your home and come back so that you don’t have accidents on the road."

Wani said his company is able to bring the project to a successful end. "We have a lot of excavators, we have a lot of bulldozers which are going to be deployed on this road." 

Western Bahr el Ghazal State minister of Roads and Bridges, Muhamaden Abubakar Muhamaden said those who may be affected by the construction will be compensated by the company.

“In addition, there will be compensation to those who will be affected along the road because the company will assess the road. There are farm areas that need to be addressed and we will not victimize the civilians, there will be compensation,” he said.

Abdalla Tip, a driver who attended the launch welcomed the move and told Radio Tamazuj that the new road will boost economic ties with neighboring countries.

“The road will help the traders since the trucks will not take long on their way from Raja, it will only take one day to reach and take goods, goods will not be expensive," Tip said.

In May the state roads ministry launched a project to tarmac about 52 kilometers of roads within Wau town. Manka Ramadhan, a resident, expressed worry that the project might not kick off or be completed like earlier road projects.

“We the people residing in the checkpoint here, those of Eyat came and said they want to build a road for us here but we were deceived. Till now nothing has been done and now we just surprised seeing them again. Let's hope that God will give them the strength to go ahead. We need this work to go ahead, we need this road from here to Kafia Kengi," Ramadan stressed. 

The cost of the road construction remains unclear as minister Muhamaden disclosed that the agreement was signed between the national ministry and Eyat company.