Sierra Leone’s Roads Authority (SLRA) has restricted traffic on the Old Railway Line Bridge at Brookfields, Freetown, after warning that the structure has deteriorated to a point where only light vehicles can safely pass.
In a public notice issued Tuesday, the SLRA said only cars and light vans of up to four tonnes would be allowed on the bridge, citing safety concerns. Heavier vehicles have been banned as authorities scramble to retrofit the colonial-era structure, which has long shown signs of neglect.
The warning underscores growing fears about the safety of Sierra Leone’s ageing bridges and road infrastructure, much of it built during the colonial period and left to decay over decades. Several bridges across the country, particularly in rural areas, are visibly weakened, with cracked surfaces, rusted supports, and little or no routine maintenance.
Experts say the dangers are not just about road closures and traffic disruption but also the risk of deadly accidents. “Every day people cross bridges that are literally tearing apart,” said a civil engineer in Freetown, who asked not to be named. “It is only a matter of time before one collapses completely, and that will cost lives.”
The SLRA said physical barriers would be installed to enforce the restriction at Brookfields while repairs are planned. But critics argue that promises of rehabilitation are often delayed or abandoned, with corruption in road maintenance contracts and poor oversight by the Ministry of Works leaving many projects unfinished.
Civil society groups have repeatedly raised concerns about the misuse of funds earmarked for infrastructure. Despite large budget allocations and donor support, residents complain that little has changed on the ground.
“Neglect of infrastructure is not just an inconvenience, it’s a governance failure,” said a transport activist in Freetown. “When bridges collapse, it is ordinary Sierra Leoneans who pay the price — with their lives, their property, and their livelihoods.”
For now, motorists are being urged to comply with the restrictions at Brookfields, but residents fear that unless the government takes urgent action to repair Sierra Leone’s crumbling network of old colonial bridges, the country risks a major disaster.
