Roads and Highways Minister inaugurates Tema roundabout improvement works

The Minister for Roads and Highways, Kwasi Amoako -Atta has inaugurated the Tema roundabout improvement works.

The project, which started early in October 2016 after the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding, was financed by the Meridian Port Services (MPS) as part of their Corporate Social Initiative at the cost of GH¢ 30 million.

MPS is a joint venture company between Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority in partnership with two of the leading global port operators, APM Terminals and Bolloré Transport & Logistics.

The Chief Executive Officer of MPS, Mohamed Samara, said the project was aimed at alleviating traffic inconveniences for the motoring public especially residents of the Tema area.

He thanked the project partners while stressing his company’s delight to see the vision of bringing relief to commuters materialize.

“The commuters of the Tema motorway suffered from serious traffic which hindered the movement of private and commercial vehicles not only within the Tema communities, but also the movement of cargo from the port through the Corridor into the country and the landlocked neighbouring countries,” The MPS Boss observed.

The acting Director General of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), Paul Asare Ansah, said the project was one of the many interventions needed to create easy access to the Tema Port, especially for heavy duty trucks being the main category of vehicles plying the route.

He also stressed the need to have a buoyant rail sector to complement existing road networks in order to serve the upcoming expanded Tema Port.

“Any port which has rails can be said to be very efficient and as a Port, we must have the rail as an obligation to boost the intermodal connectivity to the hinterlands. We are on course to make trading with the international community a pleasurable experience,” he emphasized.

The Minister for Roads and Highways, Kwasi Amoako-Atta gave the assurance that the Roads and Highways Ministry was considering various interventions to minimize the unnecessary delays that motorists faced.

“The Ghana Highways Authority and the Department of Urban Roads have regarded this roundabout as one of the critical bottlenecks in our network of roads and therefore, they have been considering various interventions to minimize the unbridled delay that motorists face in navigating the motorway roundabout,” the Minister said.