Regional road engineers, surveyors train in new technology

A five-day seminar to equip road engineers and quantity maintenance surveyors on new technologies and methods in road construction is currently underway in Koforidua, the Eastern Regional capital.

The innovations by an Israeli construction firm - AnyWay and its local partner, African Bagg Limited-- involve the recycling of existing roads and pavement

materials to construct new and more durable roads.

They also involve the use of natural local materials, which are improved and strengthened without the addition of imported materials.

The technology code-named Soil Stabilisation has been proven to save time and money by eliminating the costly process of removing and dumping the existing

materials and transporting new materials from afar.

The scheme is being implemented by the Ministry of Roads and Highways, its agencies and AnyWay and African Bagg Limited.

The participants comprise engineers, quantity/maintenance surveyors drawn from the regions across the country.

Addressing the participants at the opening session last Monday, the Deputy Minister of Roads and Highways, Mrs Mavis Nkansah Boadu, said the training

programme represented a prime example of the benefit that could be achieved by embracing new and better approaches for road projects.

Israeli technology

She said, through the application of the stabilisation techniques and technologies delivered by AnyWay, the ministry was able to deliver road projects at less cost,

in less time, and with less impact on the environment.

The deputy minister added that the Israeli company, which had assembled a team of the world’s foremost experts in stabilisation for road construction, had

generously offered to share its expertise and know-how with the civil engineering community in Ghana, through the training programme.

She said as part of the training, the most current skills and techniques would be shared, both in the laboratory and the field with the Ghanaian experts, who

would apply that knowledge in the improvement of the country's road network.

Save environment

The Israeli Ambassador - designate to Ghana, the Gambia and Sierra Leone, Madam Shlomiti Sufa, for her part, said it had become necessary for all countries to

find new ways of road construction to save the environment.

She was, therefore, happy that AnyWay had come out with innovations to assist Ghanaian engineers and quantity maintenance surveyors to construct quality

roads to save the environment.

Madam Sufa was hopeful that the participants would see how best to put into practice what they had learnt, in their respective districts and organisations.

The Principal of the Koforidua Training Centre (KTC) of the Ghana Highway Authority, Mr Daniel Asare, said road maintenance over the years had been a

challenge and that although a lot of resources were injected into it their durability continued to be a problem.

He said some of the problems associated with the issue were funding and the capacity building of engineers, as well as quality maintenance surveyors to do

quality work.

Mr Asare was hopeful that the implementation of the new Israeli technology would address the country's road network challenge.