Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia has commissioned the construction of inner-city roads in Cape Coast, the regional capital of the Central Region.
The construction of the Cape Coast inner city roads is part of the Master Project Support Agreement (MPSA) between the Government of Ghana and the Peoples Republic of China through SinoHydro Corporation.
A total of 441km of roads and two interchanges are part of Phase 1 of the agreement, which, among others, include a 100km Kumasi inner city road, the ongoing Takoradi interchange, the Tamale Interchange and the Jasikan-Dodi-Pepeso road, which have already been commissioned.
Speaking at the ceremony on Monday (26 September 2022), Bawumia expressed delight at the commissioning of yet another inner-city roads from the SinoHydro agreement.
According to him, it has silenced critics, after they raised doubts over the feasibility of the Sinohydro agreement when it was signed a few years ago following his visit to China.
“I am particularly happy today because when we first mooted the idea of the SinoHydro road project after my visit to China in 2018, many of our political opponents said that what we were proposing to do under the SinoHydro road projects was not possible. They said we were lying,” Bawumia said.
“But today marks yet another day of the commissioning of yet another SinoHydro project.
“Unfortunately for some of our opponents, when we say something and they don’t understand, instead of asking for explanation and also reading about it, they don’t like to read, they don’t want to ask for explanation; they just say you’re lying. But today, as we commission the road, they are silent. They are no longer saying it is not possible,” he added.
Massive road projects in Central Region
Apart from the SinoHydro Cape Coast inner city roads, Bawumia said that the government of President Akufo-Addo has completed a number of major road projects in the Central Region, which include: partial reconstruction of the Cape Coast-Twifo Praso road and access road to Kakaum Park -30km, ugrading of Dunkwa-Twifo Praso-Assin Foso road – 20km, and partial reconstruction of Bawjiase-Agona Swedru road – 15km.
He added that the department of urban roads has also completed 30km of asphalt overlay works, and beneficiary towns include Cape Coast, Agona Swedru, Winneba and Anomabo. In addition, the department, Bawumia said, has regravelled 50km of roads and also undertook the rehabilitation of 7.5km of roads in the Central Region.
For feeder roads, the Vice President noted that the Department of Feeder Roads has upgraded 75km of roads in the Central Region to bitumen surfacing and constructed six major bridges.
The roads include: the bitumen surfacing of Winneba-Sankor-Ojobi-Akoti road – 22km, bitumen surfacing of Kushea – Abotareye -Akwawusu- Atweneboana – 16.5km, and bitumen surfacing of Nyarkrom-Bobikuma road, which 12.5km.
Among bridges that the government has constructed in the Central Region are the construction of 105m span Steel Bridge on Suprudu-Ammissano-Mankessim Feeder Road, construction of 25m, 20m and 40m spand steel bridges over rivers Akora, Osene and Okyi respectively.
SinoHydro projects
Apart from the Cape Coast Inner City project he commissioned, Bawumia also gave updates on other on-going projects in other parts of the country under the SinoHydro agreement.
The list include: the Tamale Interchange, upgrading of selected feeder roads in Ashanti and Western Regions, as well as the Jaskian-Dodopepeso road, which have all been completed and commissioned.
Others are 100km of Kumasi Inner City roads, the construction of PTC interchange in Takoradi, which is at 50%, and the construction of Sunyani and Berekum Inner City roads, which are at 60% complete.
