Work progresses on Kejetia project

Work on the Kejetia Redevelopment Project is progressing steadily. The project is about 80 per cent complete with almost all the structural works, including a two-storey building, done.

The basement for the car park is also ready and is currently being used by staff working on the project.

What is left of the project is the installation of facilities such as water pumps, transformers and gas stations.

The project is being executed by Messrs Contracta Engenharia Limited.

Tour

This came to light when the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Hajia Alima Mahama, visited the project site yesterday as part of a two-day working visit to the Kumasi metropolis.

The Project Director, Mr Jorge Tavares de Almeida, said the first phase of the project consisted of the redevelopment of the old Kejetia Terminal into a modern market with more than 10,000 stores and a crèche.

He said stalls had also been provided to enable traders to display their wares.

The director mentioned inadequate parking space for patrons as one of the challenges they were facing because the new market could only accommodate about 150 cars.

He, however, gave an assurance that the problem would be addressed with the completion of the second phase which would contain more than 1,000 cars.

Appeal

For her part, Hajia Mahama appealed to the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) to ensure that traders were educated on the use and maintenance of the facilities, saying; “We have to improve and move with the modernisation.”

She said she was hopeful that the second phase of the project, which would see the redevelopment of the central market with similar facilities, would soon start to give the traders a befitting and conducive atmosphere to ply their trade.

KMA projects

Earlier, the Chief Executive Officer of the KMA, Mr Osei Assibey Antwi, briefed the minister on some projects being undertaken by the assembly.

He said the assembly was also developing some satellite markets in the metropolis to reduce the congestion at the central market and the Kejetia Terminal.

The satellite markets, he said, included the Asawasi, Atonsu and Tafo markets, which, he said, had all been completed.

Challenges

According to Mr Antwi, one of the major problems confronting the assembly was the lack of space for terminals following the Kejetia Redevelopment Project.

He said because the new terminal would not have adequate space to accommodate all vehicles, the assembly would need to open up new lorry parks.

Accordingly, he said a new lorry park was being developed at the Race Course suburb for vehicles that ply mostly the Brong Ahafo Region and the northern parts of the country, while another one was being developed at Chirapatre.