The government, since January 2017, has constructed 432 kilometres of roads, a feat unprecedented in the Volta Region since the beginning of the 4th Republic.
The roads include the dualisation of the 22km Ho main road, the 30km Have to Kpando road, the upgrading of the Golokwati -Wli road, resealing of the 15km Asikuma junction to Ho road, re-gravelling of the 30km Frankadua to Adidome road and the surfacing of the 17.8km Matse-Klave and Lume Atsiame-Avetokoe roads.
Others are the asphaltic overlay on 15km of town roads in Hohoe; bitumen surfacing of the 15.6km Akwetey-Adaklu-Waya feeder road; bitumen surfacing of Bume-Danyigba-Anfoega road; Danyigba Town Roads, Dra-Sabadu road, and Bume-Agata road;
The rest are the bitumen surfacing of the 12km Yorkitikpo-Kpoviadzi-Trepe road; as well as the bitumen surfacing of the 9.7km Mafi-Adadepo, Wute/Yorkitikpo and Kpoviadzi feeder roads; bitumen surfacing of the 9.7km Liati Agbonyira-Fodome-Ahor road; and the upgrading of 2.5 km Klefe town roads.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo disclosed this when he joined the Chiefs and people of the Anlo State to mark the celebration of the 2023 Hogbetsotso festival, last Saturday at Anloga in the Volta region.
President Akufo-Addo said work is steadily ongoing on the 5.3km Ho By-Pass dualisation project which is 37% complete, while work on the upgrading of 8km of selected roads in Ketu South, which is 48% complete.
Speaking to Eastern Corridor Roads, the President said the work undertaken is in contrast to what was done at the end of 2016, which saw only 135km representing 27% of which were in good condition before he came into office.
“As of the end of 2022, 366 kilometres, representing 74% of the Eastern Corridor had been improved from poor to good state. This has had a positive impact on the movement of goods and people along the corridor,” he added.
President Akufo-Addo indicated that the government had cancelled contracts on the Aflao – Denu – Dzodze – Ave Afiadenyigba – Ave Dakpa – Ho road; Denu – Havedzi – Keta road; Srogbe – Anyanui road; Agortoe Junction – Tregbui – Adutor road; Anyako – Seva road and the Weta – Metsrikasa road.
He explained that most of the contractors had failed to carry out the works, adding: “The Ministry of Roads and Highways has, thus, decided to terminate the current contracts and re-package them for award.”
In the short term, the President emphasised that the mobile maintenance unit of the Ghana Highway Authority would be deployed to undertake emergency maintenance of the very critical sections of these roads.
In addition to these, President Akufo-Addo disclosed that the government had also secured funding of US$89 million from the African Development Bank towards the construction of the 29.35 km Asutsuare Junction – Volivo road, the 39.2 km Dufor Adidome- Asikuma Junction Road, the 23.9km Asutsuare Junction – Aveyime road, and two (2) Interchanges at Dufor Adidome and Asikuma Junction.
Procurement processes, he indicated, are currently ongoing and work is expected to start by the first quarter of 2024.
Rex Mainoo Yeboah, ISD