Government will construct five interchanges at various locations in the Ashanti Regional capital, Kumasi, as part of efforts to develop road infrastructure and ensure free flow of traffic in the metropolis, the minister for Roads and Highways, Mr. Kwesi Amoako Atta has disclosed.
Amoako Atta named the locations for these interchanges as Oforikrom, Bekwai Roundabout, Santasi Roundabout, Ahodwo Roundabout and Suame Roundabout.
According to him, the Bekwai roundabout interchange had already been awarded on contract and would be executed by the China Geo Construction Company.
At a news conference in Kumasi recently after the minister, together with the Ashanti regional minister, Simon Osei-Mensah and officials of the Ghana Highways Authority inspected some on-going roads projects in the Ashanti region, he further indicated that feasibility studies have been completed on the proposed Oforikrom interchange and that detailed design and financing are currently being considered.
In the case of Suame interchange, he said it would be a four tier one like what is being currently constructed at Pokuase in Accra.
The people of Ashanti are going to be offered a four tier interchange at Suame and feasibility studies are being undertaken on proposed interchanges for Ahodwo and Santasi roundabouts. These five interchanges, he noted, are going to be constructed during the second term of President Akufo-Addo and it would be added to the seven interchanges currently ongoing across the country.
“Who say man no dey? Who can challenge the developmental feat of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo ? Accra, Takoradi, Tamale and the concentration is in Ashanti region. As many as five in Ashanti region alone. Seven nationwide and five in Ashanti .The people of Ashanti will never be short-changed”, he said.
Minister Amoako-Atta further told the media that Ashanti Region has a total road network size of 9,700 km out of which 2,400 kilometers are currently under construction and represent 57 percent of the total road network in the region.
On the Sinohydro programme, Mr Amoako Atta noted that it is a special programme initiated by the government of Akufo-Addo and that such project has never happened in Ghana before.
“It will take only a wise, forward-looking leader and progressive government, to achieve this level of feat by going into a special arrangement, if you like call it a barter arrangement of securing $ 2 billion USD for developmental projects with the government of China under the Sinohydro Programme”
According to him, a greater part of this money is being used in the road sector and the first tranche of the funding under this facility covering almost $500 million USD are currently in progress and it covers parts of roads in Ashanti.
“This is why the Tamale, Takoradi (UTC) and a number of inner city roads in Accra, Kumasi, Cape Coast and so on are under this facility. We are doing inner city roads (2) under the Sino hydro Projects.”
He emphasised that the president has never said anywhere that all roads would be constructed, saying “it is impossible”
The Ashanti regional minister, who was the first to address the media, thanked President Akufo-Addo for the road projects, which are being undertaken in the region.
According to him, the visit of the minister was to see the rate of work on these road projects.
The post Five new interchanges for Kumasi appeared first on The Chronicle Online.
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