The Minister for Roads and Highways, Governs Kwame Agbodza, says some contractors working on major trunk roads under the government’s Big Push programme have already completed up to half of their assigned projects.
Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express on Tuesday, the Adaklu MP said progress is visible across key corridors, with varying levels of completion.
“Every segment of these roads is under construction. We have various degrees of levels of completion. Some contractors have done 50% of the work already,” he said.
He explained that the first phase of the programme is focused on trunk roads, which he described as the “spine” of the country’s road network.
“The trunk roads are like the spine, so the roads leading to connect the regional capitals back to the national capital,” he noted.
He pointed to several key corridors, including the Western corridor from Takoradi through Wenchi to Wa, the Eastern stretch from Tema through Hohoe to Jasikan and beyond, and the central corridor from Accra through Kumasi to Tamale.
Despite the importance of these routes, the Minister admitted their current condition has been a source of frustration.
“The truth is that none of those roads is in good condition, and it is common knowledge that the Ghanaian has been very unhappy with the level of investment,” he said.
Agbodza, however, stressed that the situation is changing, with contractors now working at an accelerated pace.
“One or two of those contractors may actually attempt to finish their entire work by the close of this year, which is unprecedented,” he revealed.
He attributed the speed to round-the-clock work schedules and on-site innovation.
“They are working overnight 24/7, so they have three shifts,” he said.
“Instead of lunch closing and then letting people go and eat, they hire the local choba owners to come and cook on site. So when it’s time for lunch, everybody just goes and eats, paid for by the contractor, and spends a little bit of time, then comes back,” he added.
According to him, some contractors have maintained this pace consistently for months.
“Some of them have been doing this for the past four months, constantly working 24/7; no doubt they can finish ahead of schedule,” he said.
He also explained that the decision to split projects into smaller lots has improved efficiency and competition.
“There are nine different lots now, so we gave it to nine different contractors, maybe 25 or 30 kilometres each,” he said.
“It generates peer pressure that my colleague is running ahead of schedule. I need to work hard as well,” he added.
Agbodza said this approach is delivering results across the country, with previously difficult roads now becoming accessible.
“Some of the roads that you regret driving on are now good news,” he noted.
He cited improvements on the Hohoe stretch, where transport operators are beginning to return.
“In fact, this evening, I just saw a post from the MP for Hohoe that STC and VIP have started going to Hohoe. In the past, they couldn’t because the road was in such a bad condition,” he said.
The Minister maintained that when ongoing works are completed, key corridors across the country will be transformed into first-class asphalt roads.
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Source: www.myjoyonline.com