2019 Budget To Cover Major Road Projects

President Akufo-Addo is set to roll out massive road projects that will see the completion of ongoing projects and also initiating new ones. Snippets of information The Chronicle has obtained from the yet-to-be read 2019 budget indicates that all the regions are going to benefit from the road projects.

In the Greater Accra Region, The Chronicle can report on authority that the Accra-Tema Motorway, which was constructed over fifty years ago, will be rehabilitated into a modern motorway.  The corridor, which reportedly generates over GH¢200,000 a week in revenue from 30,000 cars and vehicles that ply in a day, is currently in bad shape due to years of neglect. Apart from illegal routes that connect to the road, it has also developed potholes, which makes driving on it very dangerous.

Apart from the transformation of the motorway, Akufo-Addo has also budgeted funds to turn the 22-kilometre Adenta-Dodowa road into a dual carriageway.  The Chronicle gathered from credible sources that road would eventually be extended to link the Tema-Akosombo road in future. 

Though Dodowa is relatively far away from Accra, it has now become part and parcel of the Metropolis, with most workers staying in the town and commuting to work in Accra on a daily basis. The development has led to an increased volume of traffic on the road that also leads to Somanya in the Eastern Region.

Several kilometres of urban roads in Accra would also be tackled next year. Among them are roads in Dome-Kwabenya, Omanjo-Olebu, Abease-Ablekuma, Ashaiman and a host of others. In the Western Region, over 200 kilometres of roads have been pencilled for rehabilitation or construction. Some of these roads are Asawinso-Kajina-Esaakrom, Wiawso-Amfie-Aboyaa, Ewiase-Bosomoise, Elubo-Enchi-Kramokrom-Akontombra and PTC Interchange.

Volta Region has also been allocated huge sums of money from the 2019 budget under reference to construct part of the controversial Eastern Corridor Road, from Jasikan through to Dodo-Pepesu and Nkwanta, which covers a total of 110 kilometres. In the Northern Region, the Tamale interchange will be tackled in addition to the Wulungu-Kpesenpke-Wa road, which is about 100 kilometres.

In the Brong Ahafo Region, the Sunyani township and inner ring roads would be constructed. Similarly, the Berekum inner city roads and Atebubu-Kwamedanso-Kojokrom road would also benefit from the road transformation agenda. In the case of the Ashanti Region, The Chronicle was told from credible sources that over hundred kilometres of road in Kumasi proper would be rehabilitated, in addition to several others spread across the region. Also to be tackled is the Komfo Anokye-Bekwai roundabout interchange.

Turning to the Eastern Region, this reporter was told that the New Abirem-Ofoase-Akim-Oda, Kassekrom-Adiembra among other roads will be constructed. In the central Region, the Twifo-Praso-Essikuma-Dunkwa-On-Offin roads would be rehabilitated. The Chronicle gathered that these roads, among several others spread across the country, are going to be financed from the first tranche of $500 million from the anticipated $2 billion Sinohydro deal from China.