President Akufo-Addo has touted his government to have amassed the greatest achievement in the road sector since he assumed office in 2017 in the history of Ghana.

The President, while delivering the 2022 State of the Nation Address on Wednesday, said his government has constructed some 10,875 kilometres of new roads within the five years he has been in office.

This, he said, is an unprecedented achievement in the infrastructure sector in the history of Ghana.

“In the five years of my government, so far, more roads have been built, improved and upgraded than at any other equivalent period under any government in the history of Ghana.

“Some 10,875 kilometres of new roads have been constructed in these five years.

“Mr Speaker, it is in the road sector that we have registered the greatest infrastructure achievement,” he said.

President Akufo-Addo, on Tuesday, commissioned the Tamale Interchange, the fourth interchange built by government since 2017.

The interchange forms part of the Government of Ghana – SinoHydro Master Project Support Agreement (MPSA) which was launched nearly three years ago by the President.

The Tamale Interchange is the first in the northern sector of the country.

Commissioning the project, President expressed delight over the fact that the interchange was completed ahead of schedule.

“I am delighted to be back again, this time, on my birthday, to commission the Tamale Interchange, which has been completed three months ahead of schedule and on budget, in the midst of a global pandemic that has brought considerable disruption to every phase of national life,” President Akufo-Addo said

He noted in Parliament today that he “considered it [the Tamale Interchange] to be a most satisfying birthday present.

“We intend to continue with the building of roads around the country to accelerate the opening up of our country.”

Sinohydro deal to improve infrastructure

The Government, in its quest to bridge the severe infrastructure deficit in the country, entered into a $2 billion Master Project Support Agreement (MPSA) with the Chinese state-run Sinohydro Corporation Limited in September 2018.

Under the deal, Sinohydro, a hydropower engineering and construction firm, will finance and execute the construction of infrastructural projects across the length and breadth of Ghana in exchange to have access to sites to mine bauxite.

The Atiwa forest was subsequently earmarked as the site to be exploited by the Chinese company for 15 years.

Broken down into phases, the project’s first phase costs $646.6 million, and it begins with the Tamale Interchange project.

Parliament approved projects from lot one to 10 under the first phase.

Lot 1 – Construction of Accra Inner City Roads. A total of 84 kilometres of roads located in Trobu, Anyaa-Sowutoum, Dome-Kwabenya, Adenta and Teshie will be constructed;

Lot 2 – Construction of Kumasi and Mampong Inner City Roads. A total of 100 kilometres of inner-city roads will be constructed in Kumasi and Mampong. In Kumasi, the affected road networks are in Manhyia, Suame, Tafo Pankrono, Asokwa, Kwadaso, Oforikrom, Subin, Nhyiaeso and Bantama;

Lot 3 – Construction of the Tamale Interchange;

Lot 4 – Construction of the PTC Roundabout Interchange, in Sekondi-Takoradi, the first interchange in the western part of our country;

Lot 5 – Dualisation of the Adenta-Dodowa Road. 14 kilometres of the Adenta-Dodowa Road will be dualised so as to reduce congestion, improve road safety, and reduce travel times on the corridor;

Lot 6 – Construction of Sunyani Inner City and Berekum Township Roads. A total of 39 kilometres of roads will be constructed in Sunyani and Berekum Township. In Sunyani, 29 kilometres of inner-city roads will be constructed, whilst Berekum Township will see 10 kilometres of its roads constructed;

Lot 7 – Construction of Prestea Township and Cape Coast Inner City Roads. A total of 32 kilometres of roads will be constructed in Cape Coast and Prestea. In Cape Coast, 22 kilometres of inner-city roads will be constructed, whilst Prestea Township will see 10 kilometres of roads constructed;

Lot 8 – Upgrading of Selected Feeder Roads in Ashanti and Western Regions. Sixty-eight kilometres of feeder roads in the Ashanti and Western North regions will be rehabilitated. The roads that will be rehabilitated are mainly in communities that have bauxite deposits;

Lot 9 – Rehabilitation of Akim Oda-Ofoase Road. This lot involves the rehabilitation of the 38 kilometre Akim Oda-Ofoase road, which is part of the trunk road network, IR3, and passes through several rural communities that connect Akim Oda to Ofoase;

Lot 10 – Construction of the Hohoe-Jasikan-Dodo Pepesu Road of the Eastern Corridor. This will involve the construction of the 66-kilometre section of the Eastern Corridor Road between Hohoe to Jasikan and Dodo Pepesu.