Routine maintenance to upgrade road networks

Routine maintenance would continue to be carried out on a number of roads in 2003 while procurement processes are on-going to re award some of the road contracts.

Dr Richard W. Anane, Minister of Roads and Transport said this on Thursday when he appeared in Parliament to answer a number of questions concerning his ministry. David Yaw Mensah, NDC- Atebubu North asked the Minister when work would resume on the Abease, Krobo-Krampa-Cheremo road.

The Minister said the 40 kilometres road, which is in poor condition forms part of the Abease-Kumso feeder road and spans the Atebubu and Kintampo Districts and serves mainly the farming communities in the area.

Dr Anane said the contract for the rehabilitation of the first 10-kilometre stretch from Abease was awarded in 1999 to Messrs. Royal Netherlands Limited but was terminated in 2002 due to non-performance.

He said approval was given in 2002 for the re-award of the project through selective tendering and procurement process are on-going to re-award the contract in December 2002 for completion by June 2003.

The Minister said as part of the contract, the remaining stretch to Kumso would be reshaped while the construction of critical culverts and sectional gravelling would be carried out on the 30-kilometre stretch that would be re-shaped.

In a related development, Paul Okoh, NPP- Asutifi North on behalf of Stephen Adoma-Yeboah, NPP-Dormaa East, asked what arrangements the ministry has to reconstruct and maintain the Dormaa Ahenkro - Nkrankwanta road.

Dr Anane said the road forms part of the projects being undertaken in the area for which works would start in December this year and scheduled to be completed by June 2003. He said the westbound 10 kilometre Dormaa Ahenkro- Gonokrom road has been budgeted for upgrading next year and the southbound Dormaa Ahenkro-Nkrankwanta road has been programme to commence after the completion of the first tow projects.

Dr Anane gave the assurance that the government appreciates the economic status of the road especially in food production and routine maintenance would continue until the upgrading works commence.

Ofosu Asamoah, NPP-Kade asked what measures were being put in place to ensure the completion of roads on schedule and the Minister said it was a problem of procurement process, which often causes delays but contractors who unduly delay contracts would be sanctioned.

Dr John Abu, NDC- Amenfi Central asked about the meaning of the term upgrading and the cost of the project and the Minister said upgrading meant resurfacing while the cost of projects depended on the terrain in each area and the stretch.

Adoma-Yeboah also asked what programme there was to rehabilitate and maintain Asuotiano-Dormaa Akwamu-Akontamin-Kyeremasu road which was unmotorable during the rainy season.

Dr Anane said it was the Kyeremasu-Akontanim-Nsenie section which has not seen any maintenance for sometime now, but the Asuotiano-Dormaa Akwamu-Akontanin section was in fair condition.

He said routine maintenance would continue to be carried out on the bad part of the road in 2003, while construction of critical culverts and sectional gravelling would be carried out.