Road transport is the most dominant mode of transport and
represents about 85% of the entire transport system in Sierra
Leone. 95% of the inland transport of passengers and goods is
carried out on roads. Sierra Leone has a public road network of
about 11,700 kilometres of which 8,700 km are functionally
classified in the National Road System. The other 3,000 km consists
of local roads and unclassified roads and tracks. The Sierra Leone
Roads Authority (SLRA) manages the national roads. Ministry of
Transport and Aviation (MoTA) provides the policy and regulatory
framework for transport management in Sierra Leone. It is the
overall body responsible for policy formulation in the area of road
safety in the country. The Ministry has the mandate to draft and
table amendments of traffic regulations to Parliament. The Ministry
of Works, Housing and Infrastructure (MOWHI) oversees the policy
guidance and execution of the Road, Housing and Infrastructure
sectors in the country. It is in charge of the construction,
reconstruction, rehabilitation and overall maintenance of the road
sector infrastructure. It took on the management of the feeder
roads a few years ago.
|
Classification |
Description |
Network Length |
Paved |
Surface Condition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
A |
Primary roads connect the capital with the three provincial capitals, as well as with the district Centres, and also include international routes |
2,332 km |
925 km |
Good in general |
|
B |
Secondary roads connect the District Centres, serve as regional
main roads and are connectors between primary roads and other
secondary roads |
2,091 km |
46 km |
Bad during the rainy season |
|
C |
Feeder roads |
4,277 km |
0 km |
Inaccessible during the rainy season |
|
|
Urban roads |
3,000 km |
80 km |
|
Approximately 11,000 km of public
road network; Approx. 8,000 Km classified in National Road System
(NRS); Approx. 3,000 Km local network and unclassified roads and
tracks.
To access the Road Network Government Contact List, please click on the following link: 4.1 Sierra Leone Government Contact List
Distance Matrix
To access the detailed Road Distance Matrix, please see the following annex: Annex VII: Sierra Leone Road Distance Matrix
To view access constraints in Sierra Leone, please see the following annex: Annex VIII: Sierra Leone National Road Condition
Road Security
The road safety situation in Sierra Leone is serious and has deteriorated over the past years, mainly due to the growing numbers of vehicles and ineffective implementation of the road safety interventions. There are currently no routine regular road safety audits in place on the entire road network and no compliance regimes. Local drivers do not follow general road safety rules.
Weighbridges and Axle Load Limits
There aren’t any weighbridges and axle load limits in Sierra Leone even though it is requested by ECOWAS regulations. This lack of limits control affects the roads and their maintenance as most of the trucks are over loaded.
