By Edward Williams, GNA
Jasikan (O/R), Feb. 19, GNA – Mr. Kwasi Amoako Atta, Minister for Roads and Highways has said government would take delivery of 50 steel bridges from the Czech Republic this year.
He said the bridges would be “evenly distributed” and help fix dilapidated bridges across the country, adding that six out of the 50 steel bridges would be allocated to the Oti Region.
The Minister made this known at a press conference in Jasikan in the Oti region to give updates on road projects in the country as part of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s three-day tour of the Oti and Volta regions.
He said there was the need for government to develop the road infrastructure to boost economic development and create accessible means to all factories that would be built under the One District One Factory (1D1F) policy to promote agriculture.
Mr. Amoako Atta said contractors had been sent back to all abandoned sites and that work was going on simultaneously in all districts across the country.
The Road Minister said out of about 2,000 kilometres of roads including trunk, feeder and internal roads in the Oti region, only 531 kilometres representing 27 per cent had ever seen bitumen or was paved, about 947 kilometres representing 47 per cent was at gravel stage while about 524 kilometres representing 26 per cent was at earth stage.
He said the condition of roads in the region comprised of 423 (21%) was considered to be good, 923 kilometres (46%) was fair and 654 kilometres (33%) was considered to be poor, adding that 79 per cent of roads were in terrible states.
Mr. Amoako Atta said government was committed to completing construction works on the Eastern Corridor and said seven contractors had resumed work on the 45km Asikuma-Have, 50km Have-Hohoe, 32km Hohoe-Jasikan, and 56km Jasikan-Dodo Pepesu stretch of the Eastern Corridor road and added that construction works would not cease until works were completed.
He said as part of works on-going on roads throughout the country, dilapidated bridges including Likpe-Hohoe were also being reconstructed and that construction works in the six newly created regions were aimed at bringing the regions par with the other ten regions.
Mr. Amoako Atta said a total of 23 roads were being undertaken by the Ghana Highway Authority (GHA), Department of Feeder Roads and Department of Urban Roads under the COCOBOD, Consolidated, Road Fund, Critical roads and Sinohydro in the Oti region.
Nana Akwasi Owusu Yeboa, the Oti Regional Minister said a contractor was working on the construction of a bridge over River Oti and that works were steadily on-going on the Dambai-Nkwanta road.
GNA