ECOWAS Commission Provides $2m For Design Of Ashaiman Interchange
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission has made available to the Ministry of Roads and Highways $2 million dollars for the design of a three-tier interchange on the Tema Motorway and Ashaiman roundabouts.
The redesigning of the two roundabouts has become necessary as their current capacities have been exceeded, creating traffic congestion in and around the two roundabouts.
Mr Gidisu, who stated this at the meet-the-press in Accra, also indicated that the current vehicular pressure around the two roundabouts was a source of worry to many motorists as they were often caught up in heavy congestion, leading to delays.
He said the money for the project covered feasibility studies and design of the road from Nkwanta to Yendi and part of the Eastern Corridor Roads, which had already been done.
As part of measures to increase revenue for the Ghana Road Fund, Mr Gidisu also announced that the number of toll booths would be increased on selected trunk roads.
He explained, however, that some temporary toll booths had already been placed on the Abuakwa-Bibiani-Sefwi-Benkyema Junction section at the Benkyema Police Barrier, the Accra-Cape Coast-Takoradi-Elubo road corridor at Moree Police Barrier and another one on the Accra-Kumasi road.
The others are located on the Kumasi-Techiman-Kintampo-Tamale-Paga corridor at New Offinso and the Techiman-Wenchi-Wa-Hamile road at Sawla.
Mr Gidisu stated that exemption of tolls covered vehicles of the Ghana Police Service, Army, Prisons Service, Ghana National Fire Service, the Red Cross Organisation, the government, mission ambulances, and diplomatic missions and not staff members of such organisations.
He consequently warned against non-payment of tolls, stressing that “ the penalty for non-payment of toll is 100 times the actual toll rate and motorists must therefore pay at all times”.
The Ghana Road Fund was established in 1985 to provide a secure source of funding for the preservation of the nation’s road network.
The various road agencies — the Department of Urban Roads, the Ghana Highway Authority, the Department of Feeder Roads — had budgeted a total amount of GH¢326 million this year to undertake major and minor rehabilitation road projects, but the road fund was only able to allocate GH¢94 million to the three agencies leaving a gap of GH¢232 million.
“This shortfall, which is significant, and the ever-expanding network, are hindering efforts at providing adequate maintenance for the road network,” he stated.