Mr. Kwasi Amoako-Atta, Minister of Roads and Highways, has said a total of 441 kilometers of roads under the Sinohydro Master Plan Programme were ongoing across the country at the cost of US$500 million.
The Minister said, out of the 78,400 total road network, 23 percent was paved and 77 percent unpaved and Thirty-nine (39) percent was categorized as good, 32 percent fair and 29 percent poor.
The Minister of Roads and Highways made this known at the 10th Edition of the Nation Building Updates in Accra on Thursday on the theme: “Rebuilding Ghana’s Road Network.”
Projects under the US$2 billion Sinohydro Agreement between Ghana and China aimed at addressing major infrastructure challenges in the country commenced in the second quarter of 2020.
The first four slots involve the construction of 84 kilometers of roads in Accra, the Kumasi and Mampong inner-city roads, the Tamale interchange, and the PTC roundabout interchange in Sekondi-Takoradi.
The US $2bn Master Project Support was agreed between Ghana and China in 2018 to address major infrastructure challenges in the country. Under the deal, Sinohydro Group Limited of China will provide the infrastructure of the government’s choice in exchange for Ghana’s refined bauxite.
The first phase of the project, costing $646.6 million begins with the Tamale Interchange project.
The projects under Phase 1, which have been approved by Parliament, are:
Lot 1 – Construction of Accra Inner City Roads. A total of eighty-four (84) kilometers of roads located in Trobu, Anyaa-Sowutoum, Dome-Kwabenya, Adenta, and Teshie will be constructed;
Lot 2 – Construction of Kumasi and Mampong Inner City Roads. A total of one hundred (100) kilometers of inner-city roads will be constructed in Kumasi and Mampong. In Kumasi, the affected road networks are in Manhyia, Suame, Tafo Pankrono, Asokwa, Kwadaso, Oforikrom, Subin, Nhyiaeso, and Bantama;
Lot 3 – Construction of the Tamale Interchange;
Lot 4 – Construction of the PTC Roundabout Interchange, in Sekondi-Takoradi, the first interchange in the western part of our country;
Lot 5 – Dualisation of the Adenta-Dodowa Road. Fourteen (14) kilometers of the Adenta-Dodowa Road will be dualized to reduce congestion, improve road safety, and reduce travel times on the corridor;
Lot 6 – Construction of Sunyani Inner City and Berekum Township Roads. A total of thirty-nine (39) kilometers of roads will be constructed in Sunyani and Berekum Township. In Sunyani, twenty-nine (29) kilometers of inner-city roads will be constructed, whilst Berekum Township will see ten (10) kilometers of its roads constructed;
Lot 7 – Construction of Prestea Township and Cape Coast Inner City Roads. A total of thirty-two (32) kilometers of roads will be constructed in Cape Coast and Prestea. In Cape Coast, twenty-two kilometers (22) of inner-city roads will be constructed, whilst Prestea Township will see ten (10) kilometers of roads constructed;
Lot 8 – Upgrading of Selected Feeder Roads in Ashanti and Western Regions. Sixty-eight (68) kilometers of feeder roads in Ashanti and Western North regions will be rehabilitated. The roads that will be rehabilitated are mainly in communities that have bauxite deposits;
Lot 9 – Rehabilitation of Akim Oda-Ofoase Road. This lot involves the rehabilitation of the thirty-eight (38) kilometer Akim Oda-Ofoase road, which is part of the trunk road network, IR3, and passes through several rural communities that connect Akim Oda to Ofoase;
Lot 10 – Construction of the Hohoe-Jasikan-Dodo Pepesu Road of the Eastern Corridor. This will involve the construction of the sixty-six (66) kilometer section of the Eastern Corridor Road between Hohoe to Jasikan and Dodo Pepesu;
Under Phase 2 of the Sinohydro deal, which will come on stream after approval by Parliament, an additional 1,300 kilometers of roads, 3 interchanges, and 69 steel bridges will be constructed, at an estimated 850 million dollars.
Source: Mybrytfmonline/Kofi Atakora
