The investment made in the railway sector by the government in five years surpasses the collective investments made in the past sixteen years.
The Minister for Railway Development, Mr John-Peter Amewu said this when President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo commissioned the Afienya Road Over Bridge which is part of the 97.7 kilometres Tema-Mpakadan Railway Line at Afienya on Tuesday.
He highlighted that the rapid growth of the railway industry is evidence that the current administration has over the years made judicious use of money borrowed, which has all been allocated to infrastructural development.
“The railway projects are clear witnesses of where the money government continues to borrow, goes. The government on its own generates internal resources, but as a result of the restructuring deficit, the government must look beyond and that is why the government continue to borrow. Most of the funds borrowed by this government go into development as we are witnessing,” he noted.
He said the Afienya Road Over Bridge had been constructed as part of a standard gauge railway line from the Port of Tema to Mpakadan in the Asuogyaman District of the Eastern Region.
Mr Amewu stated that the Tema-Mpakadan rail line, which commenced in 2018 by AFCONS Infrastructure Limited with funding under 447,000,000 Indian Exim facilities, is 99.6% complete and is expected to be fully completed in the first quarter of 2023.
The project, according to the Minister, involves the design and construction of 97 kilometres of single standard gauge line from Tema to Mpakadan consisting of formation and culverts and embarkment of 137 culverts, 35 bridges, balanced beds, trap west, graded separations roads over bridges and road under bridges, passenger stations and ancillary facilities.
He expressed appreciation to the traditional authorities in the area, the Land Commission, the Volta River Authority, Ghana Ports and Harbor Authority, the Ministry of Transport and other stakeholders for their assistance in ensuring the successful construction of the project.
The Tema-Mpakadan Railway Project is a component of the first phase of the 1,000km Ghana-Burkina Faso Railway Interconnectivity Project, which will build a railway line between the Port of Tema in Ghana and Ouagadougou, the capital city of Burkina Faso.
Richard Aniagyei, ISD
