The Ghana Highways Authority (GHPA), has received a proposal by a Japanese company, CLUE, Inc. to include modern technology such as high tech drones in the construction and inspection of major infrastructural works in the country.
CLUE, offers an infrastructure inspection service for civil infrastructure including bridges and highway using modern technology and software.
At a meeting with management of the Ghana Highways Authority, the Chief Operating Officer for CLUE, Inc, Kazuki Natsume said “the nature of the roads in Africa can be improved. I have lived in several African countries and Ghana is actually the first country I have proposed this project to. We want to collaborate with the Authority to enhance their daily formalities using drones for their survey and designing work and also inspection of infrastructure and road maintenance.”
Mr. Natsume added that, the technology will also provide software to effectively serve the needs of the Authority in terms of data collection.
“We are first looking at data management. We have noticed that the organization is using paper for data collection, but we will provide them with modern technology and services. We are not just going to fly drones, we will come up with software that will help in the design of roads and also detect the very little defect.”
Every year, the GHA embarks on a monitoring and evaluation program to look out for defects such as potholes and cracks among others on the roads in the country, using a manual system approximately over a 13, 360km walk throughout the country.
In response to the proposal, the Maintenance Manager for the GHA, Mr. Osae Boateng, lauded the project and said “it is a viable project, but we have specific needs so we will keep in talks to find out whether their technology will solve those needs. Our concern now is whether they will be able to take the particular data that we take because we use a manual system and walk on the road every year so this is new and we will have to consider a lot of factors before we accept it.”
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By: Farida Shaibu/citifmomline.com/Ghana