Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia on Tuesday cut the sod for the commencement of work on the Tamale-Savelugu-Walewale highway in the northern and North East regions.
The international highway, which connects the southern part of the country to major parts of the north, and Ghana’s land lock neighbours, will start with the 83km Savelugu-Walewale stretch before the dualisation of the stretch from Tamale to Savelugu and the reconstruction of Walewale to Paga stretch.
The project, financed by the Indian Exim Bank, will enhance intra-urban, regional and national trade and strengthen regional economic integration.
As part of the construction, the Walewale-Nalerigu intersection of the road will be upgraded into an interchange and the section within the Walewale township will be dualized.
Speaking at the sod-cutting ceremony, Vice President Bawumia said the government’s plan to construct yet another major road in the north, after so many ongoing projects in other parts of the country, underlines its commitment to improving the road sector.
“After 30 years of the construction of the road, we are here to cut-sod… to undertake a major reconstruction and upgrade sections of the road,” Dr Bawumia said of the highway.
The Vice President highlighted major road construction works that have been completed and those that are ongoing since the Akufo-Addo government assumed office in 2017, including the Eastern Corridor road.
“…many of us here may have observed that the government is undertaking various road projects throughout the country, particularly in the North. This is necessary to enhance safety, boost trade, improve accessibility, and reduce vehicle operating costs, amongst others.”
“Some of the completed and on-going works include the completion of asphalt overlay of 100 km of roads in Northern, North East and Savanah regions. The beneficiary towns include Nalerigu, Walewale, Gambaga, Damongo, Yendi and Tamale.”
“Other major road corridors are the Eastern Corridor, which links Tema, Asikuma, Hohoe, Bimbilla, Yendi, Gushegu, Gbintiri, Bunkprugu, Garu, Bawku and Polimakom and the Western Corridor, which links Elubo-Enchie, Goaso, Sunyani, Techiman, Bole, Wa, Lawra, Nandomand Hamile.
“I am happy to mention that various road projects are being undertaken on these corridors. For instance, on the Eastern Corridor stretch, we have the Tema-Akosombo stretch currently being dualised from Tema to Asutsuare and constructing two interchanges – one at the Ashaiman roundabout and Asutsuare.”
Other portions of the Eastern Corridor road the Vice President mentioned included the Asikuma-Junction and Have stretch, Have-Hohoe,
Hohoe-Jasikan, Jasikan-Dodi-Pepesu which has been completed, Nkwanta-Oti-Damonko stretch, Kpassa-Oti-Damonko stretch and Damonko-Bimbilla-Yendi-Gushegu stretch, which is also ongoing.
The Vice President has been in the north on a working visit for the past five days commissioning projects, inspecting ongoing ones and cutting sods for new projects, especially roads.
Rex Mainoo Yeboah, ISD
