Government to pay contractors all arrears

Accra, March 4, GNA- All arrears owed road contractors from the previous administration are expected to be cleared within the next three weeks, Mr Joe Gidisu, Minister of Roads and Highways announced on Thursday. For starters, Government would next week release GHc 20 million from the Road Fund as part payment, and "it should be possible to clear the rest after two weeks", the Minister said.

Mr Gidisu made the announcement, which was received with thunderous applause, at the sod-cutting ceremony for the re-alignment of the Spintex- Road behind the Shangri- La in Accra by President John Atta Mills. The 2.6km road project, estimated at a cost of GHc12.7 million, with finance from the World Bank, is to be carried out by Messrs Ussuya Ghana Limited.

The project, which realigns the Spintex Road around the Accra Shopping Mall behind the Shangri- La Hotel, links the Airport bypass, 100 metres from the existing Polo Court Roundabout. It includes the construction of a railway bridge to separate the railway line and the road as well as the construction of a service road to the motorway around the Accra Shopping Mall, which shall be the beginning of future service roads along the motorway. The road shall be a dual carriage way with provision for walkways and streetlights. Sources close to the Ministry said discussions have been held with the Ministry of Transport, Ghana Railway Authority and Ghana Airport Authority to ensure that minimum disruption occurs to existing transport infrastructure in the area. The project is expected to reduce congestion significantly around the Tetteh Quarshie Interchange and shall dovetail into other projects within the Accra East Corridor targeted at improving traffic flow and reducing congestion. Other Roads to be constructed on the Accra East Corridor Project to be financed by the World Bank are the reconstruction of Giffard Road into a dual carriageway, construction of the Spintex Road (Flower Pot) to Burma Camp Junction on the Giffard Road, and the construction of the Maate Tsuru Road (Maate Tsuru-Teshie Link) 4 March 10