‘Govt budgets to construct trunk, urban roads’
The government has budgeted to construct 195km of trunk roads and 25km of urban roads across the country this year. Some of the key project programmed for construction are the bridge on the Volta River at Volivo, the Nsawam-Apedwa road, the Tamale-Yendi road, the Bolgatanga-Bawku-Polmakom road, the Nkwanta-Oti-Damanko road and the Oti-Damanko-Nakpanduri road.
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Presenting the 2017 budget statement and economic policy of the government to Parliament last Thursday, the Minister of Finance, Mr Ken Ofori-Atta, also mentioned the Berekum-Seikwa road, the Enchi-Dadieso road, the Kasoa interchange and ancillary works, the dualisation of Ho main roads, the construction of the Ho bypass, the Obetsebi Lamptey interchange, the Pokuase interchange and the Kumasi roads as some of the areas.
Railway development
Touching on the development of railways to enhance the local transport system in the country, the minister stated that the current administration believed that rail was a major catalyst to drive the growth the government envisaged in the coming years.
In that regard, Mr Ofori-Atta indicated that the government would complete the Sekondi to Takoradi via Kojokrom section and continue with the section from Kojokrom to Tarkwa through Nsuta.
“This will help improve the operational performance and revenue of the Ghana Railway Development Company Limited and enable the company to wean itself from government support,” he said to loud cheers from the majority side in Parliament.
In addition, he said of the the railway development would enhance the performance and competitiveness of the manganese mine in the corridor and gave an assurance that work would commence on the Western Line which starts from Takoradi and terminates in Kumasi covering a distance of 340km.
He said the corridor, when completed, would facilitate the haulage of manganese, bauxite, cocoa and other bulk commodities, noting that the Feasibility Studies and Front End Engineering Design (FEED) had already been done on the line.
Touching on the Eastern Railway Line, the minister said that would cover a distance of 330km and starts from Accra to Kumasi with a branch line from Achimota to Tema.
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“When the line becomes operational, it will decongest the port and facilitate the movement of cargo and passengers to Kumasi and its environs,” he remarked.
The finance minister spoke on the Central Railway Line covering a distance of 200km and spanning from Kotoku on the Eastern Line to Huni Valley on the Western Line.
Road maintenance
According to the minister, the Ministry of Roads and Highways had maintained its focus on routine and periodic maintenance activities to protect the huge investment made by the government in the provision of road infrastructure.
He said in 2016, routine maintenance activities were undertaken on 10,723.49km of the trunk road network; 16,183km on the feeder road network and 9,384km on the urban road network, and maintained that in spite of the major investments made in the road sector, the country continued to have major challenges.
“The past few years have recorded a significant increase in the award of contracts, leading to a large portfolio of projects that are in excess of what our budget can accommodate. This has led to delayed payments and the resultant penalty payments, accumulation of arrears and unacceptable poor quality but costly road construction,” Mr Ofori-Atta decried.
He further alluded to the issues of limited contractor capacities, leading to sub-standard work, encroachment on right of way and lack of maintenance and care, and said this year the government would undertake a review of existing projects to bring them to more sustainable levels and within available funding.
In the meantime, he said maintenance work would be continued to include 11,900km, 22,950km and 10,200km of routine maintenance activities comprising grading, pothole patching, shoulder maintenance and vegetation control on trunk, feeder and urban road networks, respectively.
Water and sanitation
Touching on water and sanitation, the minister said major water projects would be undertaken in 2017, including the continuation of the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area water extension projects, as well as those of Kumasi and Cape Coast.
Mr Ofori-Atta added that the Kpong, Akim Oda and Ho water expansion projects, the Tono Water Treatment project in Navrongo in the Upper East Region, as well as those of Yendi and Damongo in the Northern Region, would be undertaken, whilst the Wa project would be completed this year.