Contractors working on the over 90 kilometers railway project from the Tema Port to Mpekadan near Akosombo in the Eastern region have disclosed that work is 95% complete and on schedule to be handed over to government by the end of the year.

This when completed will witness some significant reduction on road traffic from Tema to parts of the Volta and Eastern region as well as elevating economic activities in the regions.

Minister for Railways Development, John Peter Amewu who visited the site recently told Joy Business that talks are ongoing to transform the ending point of the railway into a modern port.

He believes this will help traders in transporting commodities along the route easily.

“I’m very impressed with the progress of work and as the contractors have indicated, we’re within the schedule to complete it by the end of the year. Talks are ongoing with my colleague Minister for Transport to make use of the ending point at Mpekadan which has become a concern”.

“It is important that we need to have some level of collaboration quickly to see what to do at the port of Mpakadan. Otherwise it will be a train leading to nowhere. Because this project completion will be completed sooner than expected, hence that port need to be completed soon” he said.

Afcons Infrastructure Limited, the construction firm undertaking the project has assured that all efforts are being put in place for the project to be handed over to the government by the end of the year, despite challenges of Covid -19 which affected supplies and work force.

The Tema-Mpakadan Railway Project begins from Tema in the Greater Accra Region through Afienya, North Tongu District in the Volta Region, Manya Krobo and terminates at Mpakadan, a few kilometers from Akosombo.

It is part of the 1000 km rail connection between Ghana and Burkina Faso.

The project is expected to link Ghana, from Tema to Burkina Faso’s capital, Ouagadougou.