Bawumia commissions SinoHydro Cape Coast Inner City Roads

The Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, on Monday, commissioned the Cape Coast inner-city roads, which began in 2019.

The Inner-City Roads are part of the Master Project Support Agreement (MPSA) between the Government of Ghana and the Peoples Republic of China through SinoHydro Corporation.

A total of 441km of roads and two interchanges are part of Phase 1 of the agreement, which, among others, include a 100km Kumasi Inner City Roads, the ongoing Takoradi interchange, the Tamale Interchange and the Jasikan-Dodi-Pepeso road, which have already been commissioned.

Speaking at the commissioning ceremony in Cape Coast, Vice President Bawumia also named major road projects the government had undertaken in the Central Region and the commitment to improving road networks across the country.

Dr Bawumia expressed delight at the completion of the road project from the SinoHydro agreement, which he said, had silenced critics after they raised doubts over the feasibility of the Sinohydro agreement that was signed some years ago.

"I am particularly happy today because when we first mooted the idea of the SinoHydro road project after I visited China in 2018, many of our political opponents said that what we were proposing to do under the SinoHydro road projects was not possible. They said we were lying," Dr Bawumia said.

"But today marks yet another day of the commissioning of yet another SinoHydro project.

Unfortunately for some of our opponents, when we say something and they don't understand, instead of asking for an explanation and also reading about it, they don't like to read, they don't want to ask for an explanation; they just say you're lying. But today, as we commission the road, they are silent. They are no longer saying it is not possible."

Apart from the SinoHydro Cape Coast Inner City roads, Dr Bawumia disclosed that the government of President Akufo-Addo has completed several major road projects in the Central Region, which include: the partial reconstruction of the Cape Coast-Twifo Prasoroad and access road to Kakaum Park -30km, upgrading of Dunkwa-Twifo Praso-Assin Fosoroad - 20km, and partial reconstruction of Bawjiase-Agona Swedru road - 15km.

He added that the Department of Urban Roads have also completed 30km of asphalt overlay works, and beneficiary towns include Cape Coast, Agona Swedru, Winneba and Anomabo. In addition, the DUR, Dr Bawumia disclosed has re-gravelled 50km of roads and also undertook the rehabilitation of 7.5km of roads in the Central Region.

For feeder roads, the Vice President noted that the Department of Feeder Roads have upgraded 75km of roads in the Central Region to bitumen surfacing and constructed 6 major bridges.

The roads include the bitumen surfacing of Winneba-Sankor-Ojobi-Akoti road - 22km, bitumen surfacing of Kushea - Abotareye -Akwawusu- Atweneboana - 16.5km, and bitumen surfacing of Nyarkrom-Bobikumaroad, which 12.5km.

Among bridges that the government has constructed in the Central Region are the 105m span Steel Bridge on Suprudu-Ammissano-Mankessim feeder road, 25m, 20m and 40m span steel bridges over rivers Akora, Osene and Okyi respectively.

Dr Bawumia also gave updates on other ongoing projects in other parts of the country under the SinoHydro agreement.

The list includes The Tamale Interchange, upgrading of selected feeder roads in Ashanti and Western Regions, as well as the Jaskian-Dodopepeso road, which have all been completed and commissioned.

Among on-going Sinohydro projects the Vice President listed are: 100km of Kumasi Inner City roads, the construction of PTC interchange in Takoradi, which is at 50%, and the construction of Sunyani and BerekumInner City roads, which are at 60% complete.

The Vice President reiterated the NPP Government's commitment to its quest to improve road networks in the country, stating that no government in the history of the country has built more roads and interchanges than the current Akufo-Addo Government.