Work starts on Nsawam-Apedwa road

Suhum (E/R), Oct. 15, GNA - President John Agyekum Kufuor on Wednesday broke the ground to signify the beginning of reconstruction work on the Nsawam-Apedwa section of the Accra-Kumasi Highway at a cost of GHC158 million. Th 31.7-kilometre stretch is being built into a dual carriageway with asphalt concrete surfacing and an interchange at Suhum. It is scheduled to be completed within 39 months. Chinese Contractors, Messrs China International Water and Electric Corporation, are undertaking the job. President Kufuor expressed the hope that the reconstruction

would significantly reduce the spate of accidents on that section of

the highway. Additionally, it would remove the bottlenecks that impeded

vehicular traffic flow and make the road more user-friendly. He urged the contractors, the supervising agency and consultants

to ensure that the project was executed with diligence and utmost

professionalism to enable the country to get value for the investment. As part of the Government's programme to modernize the entire

stretch of the Accra-Kumasi highway and turn it into

dual-carriageway, 10 separate packages totalling 245 kilometres are in

various phases of implementation. These include the Kwame Nkrumah Circle-Achimota,

Achimota-Ofankor, Ofankor-Nsawam, Apedwa-Anyinam and

Anyinam-Nkawkaw stretches. The rest are the Nsawam by-pass, Nkwakaw-Asankare including a

by-pass at Nkawkaw, Asankare-Duampompo with another by-pass at

Konongo, and the Nsawam-Apedwa reconstruction. President Kufuor stated that the Government had kept faith with

the nation in its road refurbishment programme and said the evidence

was there for all to see. Transportation Minister Dr Richard Winfred Anane said adequate

road safety measures had been incorporated in the road design to

enhance safety of commuters and minimise road fatalities. Provision had also been made for relocation of the lorry station

and the numerous shops and kiosks at the Suhum roundabout to

enable the people to go about their businesses in safety and comfort.