Accra, Sept.9, GNA – Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia has inaugurated a 56.4- kilometre Jasikan-Dodo Pepesu Road Project in the Oti Region as part of the Eastern Corridor Road project.
The construction started on December 11, 2019 and was expected to be completed within 30 months, however, it was completed two months ahead of schedule.
The project formed part of Phase One of the Sinohydro Master Project Support Agreement (MPSA) between the Government of Ghana and People’s Republic of China through an innovative financing model.
Under Phase One of the MPSA, a total of 441km roads and two interchanges would be constructed across the country.
Vice President Bawumia was accompanied by Mr Kwasi Amoako-Attah, the Minister of Roads and Highways, Mr Lu Kun, the Chinese Ambassador to Ghana and were joined by eight divisional chiefs in the Oti Region to commission the road at a colourful ceremony in Kadjebi on Thursday, September 8, 2022.
Addressing the gathering, Vice President Bawumia explained that the Eastern Corridor Road Project began from Tema Motorway Interchange and had several components.
He mentioned other components of the Eastern Corridor Road project as the construction of a-67km Tema-Akosombo Road, which included the dualization of the Tema -Akuse Road, the construction of interchanges at Ashaiman and Akuse; the section between Akosombo and Asikuma, which was under periodic maintenance.
The reconstruction of Asikuma Junction-Kpeve was also ongoing, with progress work estimated at 40 percent. Reconstruction of Have-Hohoe (53.5km) currently stood at 60 per cent complete.
The reconstruction of Hohoe-Jasikan section (30km) was 80 per cent complete while the Jasikan-Dodo Pepesu road had been completed
The construction of Nkwanta- Oti Damanko (50.3km) up to Kpassa was 50 percent complete. Construction of Nkwanta-Oti Damanko (12km) and Kpassa-Oti Damanko was 71 percent complete, as well as construction of Oti Damanko-Yendi (94km), which was 97 percent complete and Yendi-Gbintri (113km) 85 percent complete.
Dr Bawumia said the Government was working on almost every section of the Eastern Corridor Road project to ensure their completion within budget.
The Vice President further indicated that several projects, which had been broken into Lots under Phase 1 of the MPSA were either been completed or nearing completion.
He said there were eight Lots at various stages of completion under Phase 1 of the innovative Sinohydro MPSA, which the government of Ghana agreed with the Government of the People’s Republic of China.
He noted that several such projects had been completed, including construction of the Tamale Interchange, the first-ever interchange in the Northern parts (Lot three); construction of Cape Coast Inner City and Western Region Roads (Lot seven); and upgrading of Selected Feeder Roads in Ashanti (Lot eight).
Others include the construction of Kumasi Inner City Roads, involving the construction of 100km of roads in Kumasi (Lot two); Construction of PTC Interchange in Takoradi (Lot four), and construction of Sunyani and Berekum Inner City Roads (Lot six) were all at various stages of completion.
Touching on the roads’ projects within the Volta and Oti regions, Dr Bawumia said the Ministry of Roads and Highways, through its implementing agencies – Ghana Highway Authority, Department of Feeder Roads and Department of Urban Roads – had undertaken a large body of work designed to ease travel and improve the socio-economic lives of the people.
Apart from the Eastern Corridor roads, he said, the Ghana Highway Authority had completed about 109km of trunk roads within the Volta and Oti Regions since 2017.
Some of the roads included the upgrading of Kete Krachi-Buya Road (26.9km); Upgrading of Nkonya Wurampong-Kwamikrom (21km) and Upgrading of Borae Junction-Dodiokope Road (17km).
He said the Department of Urban Roads completed 31km of road works within the same period,
These included the Asphalt Overlay of 14.7km of roads in Hohoe; 14km of Binder course laid between Sokode-Gbogame and the Civic Centre under the Dualization of the Ho main Road and the Upgrading of Klefe Town roads (2.5km).
“The Department of Feeder Roads has rehabilitated 27.5km of roads. These include the rehabilitation of Liati-Agbonyiri-Fodome Abor Phase 2 (9.7km) and rehabilitation of Matse Klave (17.8km).
“Apart from creating a new Region, Oti region, after decades of requests, you will all agree with me that indeed the government of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has brought a lot of development to the Oti region. The evidence is also clear that no government in the Fourth Republic has constructed and completed as many kilometers of roads in Ghana as the Akufo-Addo Government,” he affirmed.
Nana Asabre Amankwatia II, Baamuhene of Kadjebi Traditional Area, on behalf of the Chiefs in the Oti Region, expressed his profound gratitude to the Government for walking the talk and fulfilling its promises to the chiefs and people in the region.
“Thank you for fulfilling your promises to us. In the past we have heard many promises about Government coming to fix our roads and bring us other development, but they never happened, but your government is different.
“I was there at Jasikan in December 2019 when you, Vice President Bawumia, cut the sod for work to begin on this road, and today, I am here again for the commissioning.
“You and your government have kept your word and fulfilled your promises. You have shown once again that we only get development when NPP is in power,” he added.
GNA