Kumasi Roads To See Massive Transformation Under Akufo-Addo

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo last Friday broke grounds at Atonsu, in the Asokwa Municipality in Kumasi, to commence work on the dualisation of the Lake Road, from Asokwa Coca-Cola Junction to Dompoase in the Bosomtwe Constituency, including the construction of the Sissai River Storm Drain.

The project forms part of the government's broader facelift of Kumasi Town Roads, which involves resealing, rehabilitation and reconstruction of major roads in Kumasi, including remodeling of the N6 Highway portion from the KNUST Junction to Ejisu, into a six carriage way.

In all, a total of 260 kilometers of roads would be improved within the Kumasi Metropolitan area, Ejisu Juaben, Sekyere East, Bekwai and Mampong Municipal areas, to be funded by the Agence Development Francaise (ADF), Government of Ghana (GoG) and Ghana Road Fund.

The President further indicated the facelift project will involve the rehabilitation of 100 kilometres of roads within Kumasi and Mampong, and the construction of over 100 kilometres of highways and feeder roads in the Region, all funded by the Sino-Hydro facility.

The project, he added, will also take into account the remodelling of the four roundabouts, between Ejisu and the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, and also asphaltic overlay on 135 kilometres of roads within the Kumasi Metropolis, to deal with the issue of potholes and, thereby, give the roads in the Metropolis a new lease of life.

“Let me use this occasion to also announce that, before the end of this year, construction works will begin for the dualisation of the road from Accra to Kumasi,” President Akufo-Addo said, to the delight of the gathering.

President Akufo-Addo, who was on a 4-day working tour of the Ashanti Region, said during the ground breaking ceremony that “Kumasi roads did not befit the status of the city,” and so his government was committed to carrying out massive road rehabilitation within Kumasi, Mampong and other areas.

These include the Kumasi Drainage and Roads Extension Project, which involves the construction of the lake road into a two-by-two dual carriageway, from the Coca Cola bottling plant to Dompoase junction; lining of the Sissai River for two kilometres, to reduce the incidence of flooding; construction of critical bridges and footbridges over the Sissai river to connect communities along the river and asphaltic overlay of ten kilometres of roads within the project area.

He also mentioned a number of roads within and outside Kumasi, including the rehabilitation of the Sunyani portions of the Sofoline Interchange which are to benefit from the proposed facelift.

Other road projects penciled under the road rehabilitation projects nationwide include the construction of the Tamale interchange, which will be the first interchange in the North, the construction of the Suame Interchange, the PTC interchange in Takoradi and the completion of the Sofoline project.

President Akufo-Addo gave the assurance that his government shall ensure adequate compensation to all those who will be affected by these road rehabilitation and expansion projects in the region.

The President expressed his gratitude to the government of France which is supporting the government to fund some of these projects.

The Minister for Roads and Highways, Mr. Kwasi Amoako-Atta said rehabilitation of roads in Kumasi delayed because the government inherited huge sums of debt owed to contractors by the previous regime which needed to be settled.

The Road Minister said out of about 2,000 kilometers of road networks in the region, only 30 percent can be described as in good condition and hoped the completion of road works in the city would reduce the pains associated with travelling and doing business within the city.

The Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr. Simon Osei Mensah advised contractors executing government projects in the region to do a good job, cautioning that leadership in the region would not tolerate any substandard works.

He was grateful to the President for his efforts to improve road network in the Ashanti region and charged Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives and government representatives in the region to monitor these projects closely.