Solomon Andoh (3rd right) briefing the Czech delegation during the inspection of the Tema bridge project.
A TOTAL number of 25 bridges are expected to be completed and handed over to the government by the end of March 2022.
These bridges form part of the first 50Â Czech bridges being built under an agreement between the governments of Ghana and Czech Republic.
When completed, the projects are expected to enhance the daily activities of residents who are currently facing difficulties in commuting from one place to another.
Project Manager for Knights Ghana Limited, the subsidiary company of Knights a.s. of the Czech Republic, Solomon Andoh, made this known when a Czech delegation visited the Tema bridge site to inspect the ongoing works.
The delegation was led by the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Martin Tlapa and the Czech Ambassador to Ghana, Jan Fury.
Background
In 2007, Knights a.s. of the Czech Republic signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Transportation to provide the Government of Ghana with 200 Composite Modular Steel Bridges ranging from 20 metre span to 50 metre span.
In April 2019, Knights a.s. finally signed the contract agreement with the Ministry of Roads and Highways for 50 bridges being the first tranche of the 200 bridges to be executed.
On the same day, a Czech Republic bank, Ceskoslovenska Obchodni banka, a.s. signed the Loan Agreement for the project with the Ministry of Finance.
Work on the various bridge projects started in June 2020 and is scheduled to be complete in 2022.
Tema ProjectÂ
Throwing light on the project, Mr. Andoh said ongoing work at Tema Community 12 in the Greater Accra Region was 80 per cent complete.
When completed, he explained that the project would create a third access to Tema from Accra, making it easier for residents in Tema Communities 11 and 12 to travel to Accra within a short period of time.
According to Mr. Andoh, the distance from Tema Community 11 and 12 to Accra would be 16 kilometres shorter when the bridge is completed.
On the other bridge projects, Mr. Andoh said work had begun and the company was on schedule to finish and hand them over to the Ministry of Roads and Highways for public use.
He mentioned that the sites at Okwenya, Akuse in the Eastern Region, Okrudu at Kasoa in the Central Region as well as Weija in the Greater Accra Region were all at the various stages of completion.