The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on Wednesday, April 10, officially cut sod for the construction of an Interchange project in Tamale.
The project is the first of its kind in the northern part of the country and it is being funded by Synohydro Cooperation of China.
It forms part of a two billion US Dollar Agreement with Ghana to undertake various infrastructure projects particularly the road sector.
The project which is to be completed in thirty months after commencement is aimed at addressing the perennial congestion being experienced in the central part of the northern regional capital as well as enhance economic development in the sub region.
President Nana Akufo-Addo said the country is about to witness a dramatic change in the infrastructure sector of the country. JKK has filed this report
The Master Project Support Agreement between the Government of Ghana and Synohydro Cooperation of China was reached in 2017.
The first phase of the project will cover 441 kilometers of roads and two interchanges at the cost of 500 million US dollars with the Northern region benefiting one of the projects.
The Tamale Interchange in addition to addressing the perennial congestion in the capital, will improve the transit vehicles which currently have to detour on the second ring road behind the Tamale regional hospital due to the difficulty in maneuvering in the central part of the capital.
The project is about a kilometer long including speed rumps and overpass. It will link the Kumasi road, to Bolgatanga road through the conserving roads around the Tamale central mosque, the central taxi rank and the Melcom junction.
Provisions have been made in the project for pedestrians and cyclists.
President Nana Akufo-Addo said each of the sixteen regions will benefit from the synohydro arrangement from hospitals, to electricity, landfill sites and to industrial projects.
The president said government will ensure that a minimum of thirty percent of works will be undertaken by local contents and supervised by Ghanaian themselves. This will create jobs for the teeming youth.
The President expressed optimism about the prospects of the projects and urged the ministry of roads and Highways to ensure adequate monitoring and supervision to guarantee value for money.
He also called on them to institute measures to mitigate negative health impacts the projects may have on the citizens. He said his government will not countenance any delays in the execution and delivery of the various projects.
He called on all Ghanaians to rally behind him as he takes the country beyond aid and prosperity.
The Minister of Roads and Highways, Kwesi Amoako Attah said the project will be supervised by the Department of urban roads under the oversight of the Ministry of Roads and Highways.
He appealed to residents for their maximum support to the contractors for effective execution of the projects to help promote the economic development of the Northern region.
He said traffic regulation measures shall be put in place to ensure minimal distraction during the construction period.
The Chief of Sagnarigu, Ambassador Yakubu Abdulai who spoke on behalf of the Overlord of Dagbon promised to rally the good people of the area to give their full support and cooperation by pulling resources and efforts for effective execution of the project.
A representative from Synohydro Corporation of China said his outfit will continue to partner with the Ghana government to promote infrastructure development of the country.
Story filed by Joyce Kantam Kolamong
