Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has cut the sod for construction works to begin on Phase Two of the Tema Motorway roundabout improvement project.

Estimated at a cost of $26 million, the project would provide a third-tier interchange on the existing two-tier interchanges, bringing to over 12 the number of interchanges completed or ongoing under the Government.

This phase will involve the construction of a viaduct to link the Tema Harbour road to the Ashaiman roundabout on the Akosombo road.

The project is expected to be completed within 30 months.

The JFE Engineering Corporation of Japan is the contractor with the CTI Engineering Corporation as the project supervisor.

Other major construction works to be undertaken include a flyover/overpass on the Tema intersection, a mechanical stabilisation wall, a signal-controlled at-grade intersection and ancillary works.

In addition, a 142-metre span continuous composite steel-girder bridge will be constructed as well as a 2,820-metre steel concrete composite slab, steel box section frame pier and 1.8km bridge and ramps.

Ancillary road works will be carried out while the existing traffic lights would be redesigned.

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is providing grant funding for the project, which forms part of the Accra-Abidjan transnational corridor highway to improve trade within the West African sub-region and ease traffic flows from Tema to Accra and other surrounding communities.

Dr Bawumia cutting the sod on Monday urged the contractor to ensure adequate traffic management during the construction period to ease traffic flow and minimise the inconvenience to the public.

He said government had constructed a total of 947 kilometres of overlay in the Greater Accra Region since 2017.

The Tema Motorway Interchange Phase 1, Obetsebi Lamptey Interchange Phase 1, Pokuase Interchange (first four-tier interchange) and Tamale Interchange are examples of projects the government had undertaken.

Others ongoing are the Obetsebi Lamptey Phase 2, Takoradi PTC, Nungua, Adjiringanor, Kpone, Savana, Dawhenya, Prampram, and Suame interchanges.

As part of measures to improve traffic flow between Tema and Accra, the Vice President said the Accra- Tema Motorway would be upgraded into a 10-lane facility.

Phase 1 of the project would be between the Tema roundabout and the Tetteh Quarshie Interchange.

The works would include a four-lane-concrete pavement expressway; three-lane asphaltic concrete service roads on either side; construction of Lashibi, Community 18 and Teshie Link interchanges and the remodelling of the Tetteh Quarshie Interchange.

He said financing arrangements were being finalised for works to commence soon.

Dr Bawumia said aside from those projects, the Government was also undertaking critical road works in the Greater Accra Region, including the Tema-Aflao Road (17km) Phase 1, which involved the provision of service lanes and four interchanges between the Tema roundabout and Miotso on the Tema-Aflao road.

Another is the construction of the Tema-Akosombo road (64km), involving the dualisation of the road and the construction of two interchanges at Ashaiman and Asutsuare.

The rest are the dualisation of the Beach Road Phase 1 between Osu and Nungua with the provision of bridges over the Kpeshie and Songor Lagoons ongoing.

Phase 2 involves dualisation of the Beach road from Nungua to Tema Community Three and includes the construction of a three-tier interchange at Nungua and the widening of the railway bridge towards Sakumon, which is at 82 per cent complete.

Ongoing rehabilitation works include the 23km Dome-Kitase road, involving the provision of access to the Ashesi University, and construction of the Borteyman road (from School Junction to Nungua Farms), involving the dualisation of the road between School Junction on the Ashalley Botwe Road and the Accra Tema Motorway will provide access to the proposed stadium for the All-African Games.

Also, 413.20 km of asphaltic overlay had been laid in Greater Accra from 2021 to date.

This brings the total asphalt overlay works completed in the region to 947.80km.

On behalf of the President, Dr Bawumia thanked the Government and people of Japan who, through JICA, had provided grant funding for the entire work.