Rehabilitation of roads in Volta and Western regions on-going - Minister

Accra, June 30, GNA - Dr. Richard Anane, Minister of Road Transport on Thursday said the Kpedzeglo - Agorve - Kpomkpo - Podoe road in North Tongu District of the Volta Region has been programmed for rehabilitation in 2006 and that surveying and engineering design is currently on-going and it is expected to be completed by September, this year. He said the anticipated improvement works include installation of culverts, raising of low laying areas and sectional gravelling of slippery sections.

Dr. Anane said this in an answer to a question by Mr. Joe Gidisu, NDC MP for Central Tongu on what is being done to the Kpedzeglo - Agorve - Kpomkpo - Podoe road in the North Tongu District. The Minister said the 15-kilometre long Kpomkpo - Podoe road provides access to farming communities along the road but the road, which is partially engineered is poor in condition.

"The 12-kilometre Kpedzeglo-Agorve is also partially engineered and is in poor condition and that feasibility studies on the roads is expected to be completed in September this year." Dr. Anane said engineering studies and design would commence in October with Messrs Macdons Engineering Consult Limited as consultant.

On when some roads in the Aowin District would be tarred, the Minister said last year portions of Enchi - Asankragwa, Enchi - Assemkrom - Elubo and Enchi - Dadieso were cut off during the rains and remedial works amounting to 529 million cedis were undertaken. He said the rehabilitation works on the roads included filling the soft spots with mine waste and cutting of ditches and turn-outs and that this year the Ghana Highway Authority has scheduled to construct culverts at those critical spots and clear the tree canopies. "In addition, routine maintenance works are done annually to keep the road in motorable condition and involves reshaping, filling soft spots and ditch cleaning."

Dr. Anane said the routine maintenance contract for 2005 was awarded to Messrs Trustsam Company Limited on April 4, this year and that about 80 per cent of the first grading works have been completed. He said the 88-kilometre Enchi - Assemkrom - Elubo road is a gravel one and in fair to poor conditions. "The tarring of this road started with the Elubo - Assemkrom section by Messrs Eagle Star Enterprise Limited in 1995, however the contract was terminated in February 2000 because of slow progress of work and budgetary constraints."

The Elubo - Assemkrom section has been repackaged together with the Assemkrom - Enchi section for consideration under Transport Sector Development Project. Dr. Anane said similar remedial works were undertaken last year on the road as was done on the Asankragwa - Enchi road amounting to about 834.8 million cedis.