Ministry releases funds for Tetteh Quarshie-Pantang road
The Ministry of Roads and Highways has prioritised the Tetteh Quarshie to Pantang dual carriageway as one of the highways that facilitates the movement of people and engenders economic growth.
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The ministry has, therefore, released more than GH¢8 million to the contractors, Sonitra and China R, who are still working on sections of the 5.6 kilometre road, particularly the Madina to Pantang dual carriageway to complete it by the end of this year.
The sector minister, Alhaji Inusah Fuseini, who disclosed this in an interview with the Daily Graphic, said to overcome some of the challenges pertaining to the delays in completing critical roads and highways, the ministry had prioritised the roads and highways in accordance with how critical they were in facilitating economic growth and human and vehicular movement.
Safety infrastructure
The amount paid to the contractors was to defray arrears of GH¢15 million owed to them for prior works done to enable them to complete outstanding works by the end of the year.
So far, streetlights are being fixed on each side of the dual carriageway, from Firestone to the Pantang Junction.
However, traffic lights, which are critical at the Madina, Ritz Junction and the Adentan Barrier intersections for the regulation of vehicles as they turn, as well as footbridges for pedestrians, remain outstanding.
Alhaji Fuseini, who is also the Member of Parliament for Tamale Central, gave an assurance that as soon as the road, which is about 96 per cent complete, was finished, all the infrastructure would be put in place.He said he had also directed the Ghana Highway Authority (GHA) to maintain the median of the dual carriageway by clearing the weeds.
For the Adenta to Dodowa stretch, the minster said some failings had been realised which called for the sourcing of funds for sectional repairs that would include an asphalt overlay which would last for more than a decade to save the sector money in repairs and maintenance.
The minister said officials of the China Exim Bank were at the moment engaging officials of the Ministry of Finance for a concessionary facility for the proposed highway to link Pokuase to the Ritz junction, one of the intersections on the Tetteh Quarshie to Pantang road.
Safety is priority
The minister emphasised that the safety of Ghanaians was of prime importance to the ministry .
The delay, therefore, in the completion of the Madina to Pantang dual carriageway had posed a challenge to the ministry in respect of fixing road infrastructure, such as, foot bridges and traffic lights to regulate pedestrian movement and turnings by vehicles.
A Daily Graphic report in August last year showed that the road had no signs, markings and other infrastructure to make it safe.
Subsequently, road markings have been made.
Writer’s email: caroline.boateng@graphic.com.gh