Kumasi-Techiman road to be rehabilitated

Accra, Nov. 5, GNA - The Ministry of Finance on Friday signed an agreement with the TAYSEC Construction Company to begin work on the rehabilitation of the 40-kilometre stretch of the Kumasi-Techiman road. The project being funded by the European Development Fund (EDF) is worth about 190 billion cedis (18.7 million euros) and forms part of the 560 billion cedis (56 million euros) allocated to Ghana under the eighth EDF for the construction and resurfacing of major truck roads. Mr Yaw Osafo Maafo, Minister of Finance and Mr Wim Olthof, Acting Head of the Delegation of the European Commission in Ghana signed the agreement.
He said the road would be rehabilitated to an acceptable standard to improve road safety and reduce user cost.
Mr Osafo Maafo said the Kumasi Techiman road was the third EDF project to be awarded on contract with the two previous ones being Axim Junction -Tarkwa road worth 14 million euros and Abukwa-Bibiani road worth 11.8 million euros.
The Finance Minister said the scope of work would cover the construction of a two lane dual carriage with a stopping lane from Maakro Junction to Bremang and the construction of a two-lane carriageway without a stopping lane from Bremang to Afroncho. He said there would be another single carriageway from Afroncho to Samproso and that in a few days government would cut the sod for work to begin.
Mr. Osafo Maafo said the Kumasi-Techiman road formed part of the Trans ECOWAS Road Network linking Ghana to Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger and its improvement would impact positively on the national economy. He said the existence of steep slopes and typical sub-standard S-curves without crash barriers within embankments along the road that carried about 94 per cent of freight and 97 per cent of passenger traffic was dangerous to road users.
Mr Osafo Maafo appealed to the contractor to exhibit a high sense of commitment and diligence in the execution of the contract.
Mr Olthof said Transport and Infrastructure Programme (TRIP) was one of the focal sectors of Ghana-EU Development Cooperation with the remaining focal sectors being rural development and macro-economic support.
He said TRIP aimed at improving access to markets and services in deprived areas by providing a more efficient transport network.