The current state of the Tarkwa-Takoradi road
Western Regional
Minister Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah has hinted that the Takoradi-Tarkwa road
project will be a dual carriage one.
He mentioned that the
dualisation of the highway would be captured in the government’s 2020 budget
statement and economic policy, which would be read by Finance Minister Ken
Ofori-Atta this month.
The minister was
responding to a series of complaints made by residents and motorists about the
deplorable nature of the Apowa-Agona-Nkwanta road and the Takoradi-Tarkwa
highway.
Some of the residents could not fathom why the road that
leads to Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipality— an area
that produces gold, manganese, rubber, timber, cocoa and other natural
resources — could
be in such deplorable state.
The people, including
traditional rulers and opinion leaders, had also embarked on a series of
demonstrations to protest the bad nature of the road.
Even though several
maintenance works had been undertaken on that stretch of the road, it has deteriorated
quickly due to the axle loads of haulage trucks that ply the road.
One could count close to
hundred huge gullies and ruts on that stretch, causing vehicular breakdown and
accidents almost every day.
Speaking on
Takoradi-based Skyy Power FM, Mr. Darko-Mensah
noted that construction works on the Takoradi-Tarkwa highway were set to
commence following a cabinet decision to include the project in government’s public
infrastructural projects.
“Just recently some rehabilitation works were
initiated by JUSTMOH Construction on the Takoradi-Agona-Nkwanta stretch but was
halted for some proper engineering work to be taken on the road. We are in the
process of getting JUSTMOH back on the road and do the proper scarifying,
patching and pavement and some asphalt,” he pointed out.
“I believe the Tarkwa
road project will be captured in the 2020 budget which will be read in this
November, or better still will be mentioned by the President in the State of
the Nation Address in January next year,” he stressed.
Mr. Darko-Mensah mentioned
other road networks in the Western Region that would soon be constructed are
the Bawdie-Suroso-Samrenboi-Asankrangwa road and Bogoso Junction to Huni Valley
road.
From Emmanuel Opoku, Takoradi
