Routine maintenance
to upgrade road networks
Accra (Greater Accra)
08 November 2002 - Routine maintenance would continue to be carried out on a
number of roads in 2003 while procurement processes are on-going to re award
some of the road contracts.
Dr Richard W. Anane,
Minister of Roads and Transport said this on Thursday when he appeared in
Parliament to answer a number of questions concerning his ministry. David Yaw
Mensah, NDC- Atebubu North asked the Minister when work would resume on the Abease,
Krobo-Krampa-Cheremo road.
The Minister said the
40 kilometres road, which is in poor condition forms part of the Abease-Kumso
feeder road and spans the Atebubu and Kintampo Districts and serves mainly the
farming communities in the area.
Dr Anane said the
contract for the rehabilitation of the first 10-kilometre stretch from Abease
was awarded in 1999 to Messrs. Royal Netherlands Limited but was terminated in
2002 due to non-performance.
He said approval was
given in 2002 for the re-award of the project through selective tendering and
procurement process are on-going to re-award the contract in December 2002 for
completion by June 2003.
The Minister said as
part of the contract, the remaining stretch to Kumso would be reshaped while
the construction of critical culverts and sectional gravelling would be carried
out on the 30-kilometre stretch that would be re-shaped.
In a related
development, Paul Okoh, NPP- Asutifi North on behalf of Stephen Adoma-Yeboah,
NPP-Dormaa East, asked what arrangements the ministry has to reconstruct and
maintain the Dormaa Ahenkro - Nkrankwanta road.
Dr Anane said the road
forms part of the projects being undertaken in the area for which works would
start in December this year and scheduled to be completed by June 2003. He said
the westbound 10 kilometre Dormaa Ahenkro- Gonokrom road has been budgeted for
upgrading next year and the southbound Dormaa Ahenkro-Nkrankwanta road has been
programme to commence after the completion of the first tow projects.
Dr Anane gave the
assurance that the government appreciates the economic status of the road
especially in food production and routine maintenance would continue until the
upgrading works commence.
Ofosu Asamoah,
NPP-Kade asked what measures were being put in place to ensure the completion
of roads on schedule and the Minister said it was a problem of procurement
process, which often causes delays but contractors who unduly delay contracts
would be sanctioned.
Dr John Abu, NDC-
Amenfi Central asked about the meaning of the term upgrading and the cost of
the project and the Minister said upgrading meant resurfacing while the cost of
projects depended on the terrain in each area and the stretch.
Adoma-Yeboah also
asked what programme there was to rehabilitate and maintain Asuotiano-Dormaa
Akwamu-Akontamin-Kyeremasu road which was unmotorable during the rainy season.
Dr Anane said it was
the Kyeremasu-Akontanim-Nsenie section which has not seen any maintenance for
sometime now, but the Asuotiano-Dormaa Akwamu-Akontanin section was in fair
condition.
He said routine
maintenance would continue to be carried out on the bad part of the road in
2003, while construction of critical culverts and sectional gravelling would be
carried out.
GRi…/
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