VEEP INSPECTS ROAD PROJECT IN TEMA (BACK PAGE, FEB 6, 2010)

Work on the 53-kilometre road network in Tema, Ashaiman and Kpone, estimated at GH¢30 million, has begun.
The project, which includes 20.10 km asphaltic surface, 33.1km bituminous surface seal, 18.30 km asphaltic road surface and 15 km of upgrade of unpaved road, is being funded by the government.
The Vice-President, Mr John Dramani Mahama, who inspected the work, disclosed that all traffic lights in the Tema metropolis would also be changed to a new system which would have a back-up of 48 hours during power outages.
He observed that most of the country’s urban areas were facing increasing traffic congestion due to the deplorable condition of the road network.
Mr Mahama noted that the decline in revenue estimates from the Ghana Road Fund had complicated the situation, leading to the steady deterioration of the road infrastructure.
He said accessible drainage systems, sidewalks, pedestrian and bicycle safety improvements were also affected by the shortfall.
He said expenditure on road maintenance was substantial, relative to the overall national budget, but it had not yielded the expected returns.
He said the government deemed it necessary to arrest the situation and save the road network and the economy from imminent collapse .
Mr Mahama said the government was committed to the needs of the vast majority of Ghanaians and would do all within its power legally to make the country a better place by 2012.
He said there would be transparency in the collection of road tolls and that there would be yearly publication of the results of the revenue generated and disbursement from the tolls.
The Minister of Roads and Highways, Mr Joe Gidisu, who accompanied the Vice-President on his rounds, said the Tema metropolis had a total road network of 1,331km, made up of 572km paved and 759km unpaved.
He said after the rains in 2009, there was drastic deterioration in the conditions of the roads in Tema and the metropolis had only 30 per cent of the network in good condition.
He said some critical areas that were identified to be included in the rehabilitation and upgrading project were the central business district, the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) road, the Kpone main road, the Ashaiman–Zenu road, the Tema Beach Road, the Meridian roads, Lashibi and Klagon roads, in addition to the defective traffic lights.
Mr Gidisu said the Road Fund was servicing a loan facility that was taken from the Social Security and National Insurance Trust in 2007 and he was optimistic that the increment in the tolls would facilitate the repayment of the loan, as well as support more road maintenance works.
He called on the assemblies to be proactive in their supervisory roles in the rehabilitation works to achieve the objective of the investment and appealed to the contractors working on the projects to adhere to quality specifications, since anything short of that would not be tolerated.
The chiefs and elders of Kpone and Tema witnessed the ceremony.