The Central Region is benefiting from a total of 109 road infrastructural projects to help open up the area to facilitate tourism, trade and other economic development.
Minister of Roads and Highways, Kwasi Amoako-Atta, said the road projects running into several millions of cedis were being funded by the Government of Ghana, loans and grants from multi-pool donor agencies.
Speaking at a media encounter in Cape Coast on Thursday to highlight on-going road projects in the Region, the Roads Minister, who is the Member of Parliament for Atiwa West, said the massive road construction were manifestation of President Akufo-Addo’s declaration of 2020 as the “year of roads”.
The Minister, who was touring the Region to inspect the projects, noted that quality roads were critical in connecting cities, facilitating trade, and attracting and retaining investments, hence the Government’s commitment to invest heavily in that sector.
For the 109 road projects under construction as of May 2020, about 28 trunk roads were under the Ghana Highway Authority (GHA), 55 under the Department of Feeder Roads and 26 under the Department of Urban Roads.
In all, the Region had a total road network of about 5,695 kilometers, with 1,156 being handled by the Ghana Highway Authority (GHA), whiles 3,150 and 1,390 were being handled by the Department of Urban Roads and Feeder Roads respectively.
Of the total number of roads, 1,880 representing 33 per cent was paved, 2,320 were at gravel stage and 1,795 representing 26 per cent remained at the earth stage.
Touching on the “condition of roads,” the Roads Minister said about 1,376 kilometres representing 24 per cent of roads in the Region were good, 2,013 kilometres, representing 36 per cent, were fair as against 2,217 being poor.
Giving the state of road infrastructure the Government met upon taking office, he indicated that of the country’s total road network of over 78,000 kilometres, only 23 per cent were bitumen surfaced whiles the remaining 77 per cent were not tarred.
On interchanges, Mr Amoako-Atta reiterated government’s commitment to completing the interchange at Pokuase, Obetsebi Lamptey Roundabout and a yet to commence one at Takoradi PTC Roundabout.
He praised the media for being as an indispensable ally for development and urged all to have faith in the Government as it went about to redeem its promises.