This follows the successful completion of the Accra bound stretch of the eight-meter tunnel at Flower Pot, Spintex.

[contextly_sidebar id=”L60cT4baFub6j78UQT8Gjsq6vEv98KKt”]The Safety Manager of Sonitra, who are the contractors on the project, Owusu Prempeh, told Citi News‘ Caleb Kudah in an interview that motorists would be redirected through the median to allow work to begin on the second phase of the project.

“From tomorrow, motorists should bear in mind that the traffic direction, from Accra to Tema – the Tema-bound side – will be directed through the median to give way for the second phase to commence,” he said.

“We also appeal to motorists to still comply with the traffic regulations as they did the first time.”

In April, the Ministry of Roads and Highways announced plans for the construction of the underground tunnel connecting East Legon to Spintex.

The project is expected to ease the torturous journey motorists on that route endure.

Work on the first section of the tunnel caused considerable gridlock on the stretch, frustrating the hundreds of motorists who ply the route.

There are fears that the new works could inconvenience motorists.

However, Owusu Prempeh stated that, the company had learnt from the challenges with the first phase of the project, and is putting measures in place to ensure that the effect on traffic flow is minimal.

He added that, they are also working on speeding the work on the second phase, as the first had taken over three months to be completed.

“This will not be [like] the first time. We realized the first problem we had, so we hope the second phase will not be like the first time, and that it will move faster than it did previously. We’ve realized the problems we encountered the first time, and we’ll try to change things,” he said.

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By: Edwin Kwakofi/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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Government had earlier complained that it inherited an 11.6 billion Ghana cedi debt in the road sector from the Mahama administration, hence there was no money to fix faulty roads or construct new ones.

“The debt overhang in the Ministry is huge; close to GH¢ 11.6 billion in commitments, all contracts put together and that is big,” Anthony Karbo, a deputy Minister of Roads told Citi News in August.

[contextly_sidebar id=”GO0pTr6dCrlmWqiKBr7fewm467bIgOUg”]In the latest development however, the Ministry of Roads and Highways in a public notice, announced that it has started receiving bids for the patching of potholes as well as sectional repairs on the 253 trunk roads nationwide.

“The Ministry of Roads and Highways, acting through the Ghana Highway Authority, invites sealed bids from eligible bidders i.e. MRH Classes A3-A4, to carry out routine maintenance works listed hereunder,” the Ministry stated.

Under the project, the Central and Ashanti Regions have the highest number of beneficiary roads with 52 slots each, followed by the Eastern Region which has 42 roads earmarked to be fixed.

Brong Ahafo Region has the third highest list earmarked roads of 24, Western Region, 16, Northern Region, 15, Volta Region, 15, Greater Accra, 14.

Upper West and Upper East Regions have the lowest number of roads under the project which are 12 and 11 respectively.

Gov’t conducts roll call of road construction companies

This comes on the back of moves by government to compile the list of road construction companies in the country.

The Ministry of Roads about two weeks ago, began “compiling names of prospective companies who have the expertise to undertake works in respect of the following activities: Road line marketing, construction of pedestrian guard rails, construction of crush barriers, maintenance of green areas, pot-hole patching and vegetation control.”

Osafo Maafo laments inflated cost of road projects

The NPP government had accused the former administration of awarding road contracts through restricted tendering.

Senior Minister, Yaw Osafo Maafo, also on Monday, September 25, 2017, bemoaned what he calls corrupt practices within the country’s road sector.

According to him, some road contractors intentionally inflate the cost of roads, adding that, such practices have had adverse effect on the country’s funding sources.

Speaking at an event to officially commence the upgrade of the Accra-Tema Motorway on Monday, Osafo- Maafo said the cost of road construction in Ghana must conform to international standards.

“If you go to the score card of the Ghana Institution of Engineers, they describe the sources of our poor performance in the road sector. They talk about lack of adequate funds, technical know-how, but they also talk about corruption. It’s something we should also pay attention to. We must have value for money in the road sector,” he added.

Below is the full list of roads captured under the maintenance project:

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By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
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There are reports that the Accra-Tema Motorway has not seen major repair works in the last decade despite the huge sums of money the road generates in the form of tolls.

The Motorway is said to have developed huge potholes and can only boast of few streetlights thus causing a number of accidents at night.

The closest medical facility to the motorway – the Tema General Hospital – is also said to be overwhelmed with the number of daily accidents cases it attends to.

The Citi Breakfast Show team wanting to have such instances forestalled said they will not back down until the road is fixed.

“We want to tell the Ministry of Roads and Highways, the department of Urban roads, the Ghana Highway Authority to prioritize fixing the motorway and we need streetlights on that road before the end of the year. Whatever it will take for that to happen must be done as soon as possible,” Show host, Bernard Avle stated.

Economic Importance

The motorway is an integral part of our economy.

It is estimated that about 70,000 vehicles use the motorway daily.

The 19-kilometre road commissioned in November 1965 by the Kwame Nkrumah administration forms part of the National Route 1(N1), which starts from Aflao (in the Volta Region) and ends in Elubo (in the Western Region).

It is also part of the Trans West African Highway (Abidjan-Lagos Corridor) and also links the capital city, Accra, to the Kotoka International Airport and the Tema Port.

Over 500 potholes

There are unconfirmed reports that over 500 potholes could be found on the road.

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By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
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The plant is situated at Atuabo in the Ellembelle District of the Western Region.

The leaders said the management of the company is taking them for a ride by failing to properly negotiate for the acreage of land acquired for the project.

Spokespersons, Awonyi Mensah Robert, Tufuhene of Anokye and Nana Bonsah 111, Obaahema of Atuabo said at news conference that since Dr George Sipa Yankey, Chief Executive of the Gas Company visited the traditional council with bottles of Schnapps to ask for land two years ago; little had been done and achieved in terms of negotiations and documentation on the many acreage of land lease out for the project.

The Tufuhene said described the action of the company as disgusting and lack of respect for the people and leadership of the three communities and the traditional council as a whole.

He said many attempts by the traditional authority to get the leadership of the company to negotiate had failed adding, “We have called about four to five meetings and the management of Ghana Gas had failed to attend any.”

The community leadership also wants to know from the management of the company future development plans, issues of environmental safety, and where to turn to in case of emergency.

Awonyi Robert complained that the company had sidelined the indigenes in the area of employment adding that even drivers are employed from out of the communities.

The Atuabo gas project when completed could solve half of Ghana’s energy crisis since the Aboadze Thermal Plant would feed on it for additional power generation.

Source: GNA

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