Eastern corridor road will be ready in 2016 – Minister

The Minister for Roads and Highways, Inusah Fuseini, has announced the Eastern Corridor road will be completed in 2016.

The Eastern Corridor road links southern Ghana to the north and other neighboring countries including Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali runs through the Volta Region.

[contextly_sidebar id=”IgC3d1zFMEWT8Su0wjpEnOCF8mpk6PRG”]The road covers a distance of about 695 kilometers and serves as a major transport route for goods from Northern Ghana to the capital, Accra.

The road has not seen any improvement since it was awarded on contract some five years ago.

Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show, the sector Minister assured Ghanaians the the road will have undergone major improvements by October next year, two months to the 2016 general election.

He said, “By next year October, you will see some special improvements on work on the road.”

According to him the ministry is looking for resources to complete the road and the needed resources will be acquired to complete the project.

“We are in the process of looking for resources to be able to do that and there is every indication we might come into resources next year and build the road,” he stated.

Mr Fuseini acknowledged the importance of the Eastern corridor road saying, “We know that the eastern corridor road is a critical link and lies at the heart of what President John Dramani Mahama is trying to do for this country.”

He gave assurances the government was aware of the importance of the eastern corridor road and further appealed for patience on the part of the major stakeholders of the road project

“We are alive to our responsibility to develop the road in such a way that we can engender economic activity on the eastern corridor road.”

He added, “I will crave the indulgence of those living within the corridor, the eastern corridor spine, to bear with us… We know that it has been difficult.”

The dual-carriage Eastern corridor road project is estimated to cost US$290.64million and is being financed by the Brazilian Development Bank, which will take 83.33 percent of the entire cost with the rest being funded by the Government of Ghana.

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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana