Yaw Osafo Maafo, Kwasi Amoako Atta, Anthony Karbo and others inspecting the artistic impression of the project
Government has revealed that the construction of the Pokuase Interchange and other arterial roads will be completed by April 2020.
President Akufo-Addo, through the Senior Minister, Yaw Osafo Maafo, yesterday cut the sod for commencement of the work which is being carried out by Messrs Zhongmei Engineering Group Limited, with Messrs Associated Consultants Limited (ACON)/ Bigen Group as the consultant of the entire project under the Ministry of Roads and Highways.
The $94 million project is being funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB) under the Accra Urban Transport Project, which includes the construction of a three-tier interchange at Pokuase on the Accra-Nsawam Road.
Out of this, the AfDB will provide about $83 million with the Ghana Government providing $11.7m counterpart funding.
The interchange is expected to ease traffic flow considerably and shorten travel time for commuters along that route.
The AfDB also financed the Awoshie-Pokuase Road.
Owing to the strategic role the newly constructed Awoshie-Pokuase and the proposed Pokuase-Ritz-Motorway Roads will play in providing an integrated, viable and sustainable transport infrastructure to reduce poverty, promote regional integration and make Ghana a transportation hub within the ECOWAS sub-region, there was the need to construct an interchange at ACP Junction at Pokuase.
The need to construct the interchange has also been necessitated by the urban sprawl in the Ga West Municipality and Nsawam, as well as the overwhelming traffic congestion at Pokuase during peak hours in the morning and evening.
The interchange, when completed, will ease traffic congestion, improve urban mobility which will benefit agro industries located within the project zone, facilitate socio-economic activities and generally improve livelihoods.
Some selected local roads within the four quadrants of the interchange will be improved as part of the project to minimize traffic congestion.
These will be used as part of the routes to manage traffic during the construction.
The contractor will also deploy a formwork (Form Traveller) which will also reduce the impact of disruption to traffic on the N6.