GhIE calls for collaboration to construct durable roads
The President of the Ghana Institution of Engineering (GhIE), Rev. Prof. Charles Anum Adams, has called for a collaboration among relevant stakeholders to develop an appropriate mix for durable roads.
He suggested that the government should consult the GhIE and other professional bodies before awarding road contracts to ensure that contracts were awarded to only certified engineers and contractors.
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Delivering the 51st Presidential Address of the institute in Accra last Thursday, Rev. Prof. Adams said poor execution of projects had resulted in too many bad roads across the country.
He said these impeded productivity and economic development.
The address was on the topic: “Contemporary Transportation Infrastructure Development in Ghana: Interrogating the Nexus of Engineering, Politics and Sustainability”.
Projects continuation
Rev. Prof. Adams called on politicians to desist from abandoning uncompleted projects inherited from their predecessors.
The Directive Principles of State Policy as contained in the 1992 Constitution states that: “As far as practicable, a government shall continue and execute projects and programmes by the previous government”.
The GhIE President said it was a source of concern that the directive had not been adhered to by successive governments.
He further appealed to politicians not to use the road sector as campaign messages.
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Rev. Prof. Adams added that road expansion was needed to accommodate the ever-increasing vehicles on our roads, and urged members of the GhIE to up their game to complete jobs awarded to them.
Rev. Prof. Adams proposed warm-mix asphalt instead of hot asphalt for road construction, saying the former reduced emissions.
He also recommended bio-binders for road construction or recycled materials for road durability, as well as the use of eco-friendly materials.
Address
The Executive Director of GhIE, David Nyante, explained that the presidential address was perhaps the most important highlight of the tenure of the President of the institution.
He said every president of the institution delivered an address in his or her area of practice and expertise.
The chairman of the ceremony, Kwesi Abbey Sam, said transport was a key driver on the road to ending poverty.
He urged engineers to insist on doing the right thing irrespective of pressures from any quarter.