By Samuel Akumatey
Ho, Sept. 23, GNA – Bitumen surfacing of some major roads in the Ho Municipality is advancing smoothly.
Various lots of the Urban Development Grant (UDG) of the World Bank have benefited roads and other infrastructure in the Municipality and works on several access roads within various communities are being completed.
Mr. Divine Bosson, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), said at the onset of the surfacing works, that internal commute was set to improve, thanks also to the commencement of the District Roads Improvement Programme (DRIP), which took off recently.
He said roads such as the Barracks Newtown to Ho Cemetery bypass project, which is being undertaken by First Sky Construction, was among new roads being provided for the Municipality.
The MCE expressed gratitude to the government for the various interventions and the commitment and gave the assurance that culverts and other needed installations would be provided.
“This would become one of the most beautiful roads in the Municipality. This is a project coming to help the people of the area and to improve our road network in the Municipality,” he said.
First Sky is sharing the various lots of the projects UDG project with Openya Construction, which is undertaking works on such notable roads as the OLA bypass and other channels in the Ho Central market vicinity.
The MCE who also is a Parliamentary Candidate for the Ho Central Constituency, soon after his appointment, took on an ambitious drive to open road networks in the Municipality, and he considers the DRIP initiative as timely.
The DRIP provided road construction equipment for all local assemblies across the country and the Ho Municipality received a double portion.
A new road linking the University of Health and Allied Sciences is being undertaken, while works are ongoing on almost all major connecting roads in the Municipality.
Mr. Bosson noted how the local economy would be enhanced with the completion of the projects, and commended staff of the Assembly for sterling commitment to development.
Mr. John Ntibrey, the Municipal Development Planning Officer, who also is the project coordinator, said UDG three, four, and five were being implemented concurrently.
He said practical completion has been reported to the Assembly on some of the projects, and was hopeful all would be exhausted by the year’s end.
UDG three and four allocated GHC17 Million, and GHC26 million respectively, and were being injected in several “solid projects within the municipality including storm drains and other infrastructure in the flooding susceptible Municipality.”
UDG five focuses on a major storm drain that would run from the Ho Sports Stadium to the Ho Technical University, while other would be constructed along Ho to Aflao Road in the Municipality.
An astro turf pitch at the main campus of the Ho School of Hygiene also falls under UDG five.
“From UDG three to UDG five we are doing about nine solid projects, and we are waiting for the UDG five funds to pay contractors. We hope to do more.”
He said funding was being awaited to complete roads including the new UHAS link, and also another astro turf for the Municipality.
GNA