The Minister of Roads and Highways, Mr Francis Asenso-Boakye, has announced that significant portions of the Kasoa-Winneba double-lane road, currently under construction, will be opened to traffic in eight months.
This development comes as part of efforts to ease traffic congestion and reduce accidents on what is considered one of the most accident-prone roads in Ghana.
During a working tour to inspect road projects in the Central Region, Mr Asenso-Boakye expressed satisfaction with the progress of work being executed by the contractors, Nag Fairmount Company Limited and MM Delivery Company Limited.
The $85,328,761 project, funded by the Government, includes the construction of interchanges/flyovers at Sapato, Akoti, Budumburam, Awutu, and Winneba Junction. Additionally, extra service lanes will be provided at all entry points to the main dualised road to assist commercial drivers in picking up and dropping passengers.
The Minister emphasized that the completion of the project, scheduled for 36 months, will connect Accra to Winneba, Cape Coast, and the Western Region, easing vehicular traffic congestion and boosting tourism, education, and commerce in the region.
In a related development, Mr Asenso-Boakye inspected works on the 14 km Kasoa-Bawjiase road, which is expected to be completed in September 2024. The road, valued at GHȼ95,945,753.56, connects Kasoa to the Awutu Senya West District. The Minister commended the contractor, Big Dreams Investment, for the progress of work, which is at 62 percent completion and scheduled for full completion by the end of the year.
The Minister also expressed satisfaction with the progress of works on the Ojobi-Senya-Bereku road in the Awutu Senya West District, the Assin Manso-Eshiem-Ajumako road in Assin South, and the Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam districts. He noted that the timely completion of these projects would improve the transportation network in the area.
‘’This reflects the Government’s commitment to improving the road networks to enhance transportation and reduce travelling time for commuters.’’
In December 2023, stakeholders in the roads and transportation sector in the region expressed dissatisfaction over approximately 100 road projects that had been abandoned by contractors. These projects included 30 under the Ghana Highway Authority, 40 under the Urban Roads Department, and several others under the Feeder Roads Department.
According to the stakeholders, some contractors had been absent from the project sites for over a year, attributing their abandonment to a lack of funds. This situation had led to delays in completing the projects and had significantly impacted the transportation network in the region.