The government has spent a total of GH?75,343,505.90 to improve roads in Ashanti, the out-going Regional Minister, Mr. Peter Anarfi-Mensah, has announced.

This involved bituminous surfacing and rehabilitation, routine maintenance, pothole patching and sectional repairs.

He mentioned among these Bekwai-Adansi Praso, Kumawu-Timate-Drobonso, Agogo-Besoro, Jamasi-Boanim, Ejua-Anyinofi, Agyenkwaso-Anomabo-Gyadam, Oyoko-Nsuta, Sekyedumase-Anyinasu and Obogu-Ofoase-Gyadam roads.

Others include Antoa-Tikrom, Adako-Jaachie-Tikrom, Konongo-Dwease-Dickson, Fomena-Old Ayaase, Amenase-Dome, Fawoman-Sabronum, Fawode-Adwumam-Kenyasi and Akrokeri-Kyeaboso.

Addressing a meeting of the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) in Kumasi, Mr Anarfi-Mensah said frantic efforts were being made to complete the 11.3 kilometre Kejetia-Abuakwa stretch of the Kumasi-Sunyani road, the Oforikrom-Asokwa by-pass and the construction of the lake road into a dual-carriageway.

He described the Kejetia-Abuakwa stretch as “very crucial as far as the management of vehicular traffic and transportation within the Kumasi metropolis and the Kumasi-Sunyani corridor are concerned”.

He said the Sofoline Interchange built as part of this project was about 98 per cent complete with the remaining job left to be done on the entire project put at 12 per cent.

Mr. Anarfi-Mensah also spoke of a number of interventions to significantly raise food production, create job openings and fight poverty in the region.

These include the block farm programme, sustainable development of rain-fed lowland rice production, fertilizer and seed subsidy programme and the root and tuber improvement and marketing programme (RTIMP).