GOOD road network plays a vital role in the development of any area in the country, especially in the hinterland where foodstuffs have to be conveyed from the farm gate to markets in the urban centres.
It also facilitates the movement of people of all walks of life within the areas concerned as well as linking the districts, regions, the country and the neighbouring countries together.
The Eastern Region is the third most populous region in the country and for that matter should have good road network to facilitate its economic activities.
Eight years ago, only 39 per cent of its trunk roads was in good shape, 39 per cent was fair and 22 per cent was poor although previous governments did the best to improve the trunk roads.
The deplorable road network has not only brought untold hardships to the people and traders who found it extremely difficult to cart their wares from one end to the other, but has also negatively affected the economy of the region.
To avert such a deplorable situation, the government upon assumption of power in 2001, initiated a comprehensive road rehabilitation programme nationwide as a result of which large stretches of trunk roads in the region had been reconditioned.
Some of the rehabilitated trunk roads which were carried out under the supervision of the Ghana Highway Authority (GHA), included the 16-kilometre Kwabeng-Akyem Akropong road, the Kwahu Tafo-Adawso road, a 20-kilometre stretch linking the Kwahu East District with Kwahu North, the 30-kilometre Aburi-Mamfe road said to be one of the best in West Africa, the 30- kilometre Anyinam-Nkawkaw road and the five-kilometre Medie-Kwafokrom road.
Others are the 14-kilometre Achiase-Akenkansu road and the road linking Ekye Amanfrom with Forifori, one of the main arteries in the newly-created Kwahu North District.
By the end of last year, 40 per cent of the trunk roads constituting 778 kilometres out of the region’s total length of 1,400 was in very good condition, thus bringing a lot of relief to the travelling public.
According to the Regional Director of the GHA, Mr Joseph Kwadwo Agyepong, his outfit was doing its best to rehabilitate the trunk roads.
He said with the support from stakeholders, especially the government, 70 per cent of trunk roads in the region would be in very good condition within the next few years.
Mr Agyepong stated that on the whole, the contracting firms undertaking the various projects, especially AYA Construction, a Koforidua-based construction firm which is reconstructing the Koforidua-Bunso road, the main artery linking the regional capital with the main Accra-Kumasi Highway, had lived up to expectation.
The project which has a contract period of two years, when completed, would totally transform the pot-hole-undulating road that had become a death trap to be one of the best in the region.
Mr Agyepong, who together with Mr Paul Duah, the Regional GHA Maintenance Manager, was on the normal routine visit to the site, commended AYA for the good work done.
The company’s managing director, Mr John Afful, Jnr gave the assurance that the project would be completed on schedule despite the intermittent heavy downpours that had continued to slow down construction works.
One significant aspect of road construction and rehabilitation in the region is that, any stakeholder who does not honour the contractual obligation, is sanctioned..
While contractors who perform poorly are sanctioned, the government which ensures that certificates for work done are honoured within the stipulated time, is also compelled to compensate the contractors for the delay and that had made both parties to be on course at all times, although there used to be some hitches.
Another point worth noting is that, although the rehabilitated trunk roads had the necessary markings and signs which under the normal circumstances should be devoid of vehicular accidents, such accidents do occur, some fatal with loss in life and destruction of property worth thousands of Ghana cedis, especially on the Mamfe-Koforidua road.
The motor accidents, which have been a worry to many people, have been attributed to various reasons. They include the human factor (drunkenness and speeding) and faulty vehicles some of which could be described as death traps.
“Although all the trunk roads are within the required specification of 7.3 metres in width with proper markings and signs to warn users of danger which under normal circumstance can prevent accidents involving vehicles and pedestrians, there have been a lot of motor accidents,” Mr Agyepong stated.
He said some of the accidents are fatal on such roads primarily due to speeding by motorists “so we have been compelled to construct ramps to ensure that drivers go by the speed limit,” he added.
Mr Agyepong also stressed the need for a comprehensive educational programme for all road users, especially drivers.
On the whole, the trunk road rehabilitation programme which according to Mr Agyepong had been successful, is beset with challenges.
They include delay in the payment to contracting firms for work done, periodic shortage of construction materials such as chippings, low contractor capacity and inadequate number of technical staff.
For instance, currently only one surveyor is responsible for the entire road network in the region. There is the need for additional surveyors and more technical staff to be on the job otherwise the rehabilitation of the trunk roads would not progress as expected.
No comments:
Post a Comment