UK contractor Dawnus International has been awarded its third contract in Liberia, for the £10m Gangra Haul Road project for the world’s largest steel manufacturer, ArcelorMittal.
ArcelorMittal is developing three iron ore deposits and a concentrator in the mountains of Nimba County, 300km north east of Liberia’s capital, Monrovia.
Dawnus said the work will involve constructing 13km of road through a heavy bush area, along with a 50m bridge across the Dayea River, a 100m bat tunnel and restoration works including replanting 85 hectares of trees and grasses.
The road construction will involve major earthworks with cut and fill quantities exceeding 1,000,000 cubic metres of soil and rock to form the cuttings and embankments. The wearing course pavement will be constructed using stone from a quarry involving Dawnus drilling, blasting and processing 40,000m3 of products.
Challenges will include sedimentation and erosion issues to protect existing watercourses during the bulk earthworks and flora and fauna protection measures required for both the bats and Western Chimpanzees.
“It will be important to meet the project milestones, not only to deliver client demands but to avoid extending the works into a challenging wet season,” the company said in a press release.
Dawnus is currently working in Liberia reconstructing the disused Mount Coffee Hydroelectric Power Plant (pictured) to generate electricity to Monrovia and surrounding areas, due to finish in October 2017.
Image: Dawnus is working in Liberia reconstructing the disused Mount Coffee Hydroelectric Power Plant (Dawnus)
