Prioritise dualisation of Accra–Kumasi highway –Asenso-Boakye

 Former Minister of Roads and Highways, Francis Asenso-Boakye, has burdened the urgent must prioritise the dualisation of the Accra-Kumasi freeway, a venture of unparalleled nationwide significance.

“Right this moment, attributable to elevated congestion, frequent accidents, environmental air pollution, and excessive car working prices, journey time between Accra and Kumasi has risen to 5 and half hours, extreme­ly impacting nationwide financial development.

Of the 240km stretch from Kwame Nkrumah Circle to Yaa

 Asantewaa Roundabout at Ejisu, solely 100km has been dualised, with 46km underneath development and 94km but to be developed,” Mr Asen­so-Boakye revealed in an announcement in Parliament yesterday.

“Roads type the spine of Ghana’s transportation sys­tem, enjoying a pivotal function within the nation’s socio-economic develop­ment. They facilitate commerce, improve entry to healthcare and training, join farms to markets, and finally contribute to financial development and growth, “he indi­cated. He mentioned research underscore the far-reaching advantages of street infrastructure, together with improved healthcare entry, elevated agri­cultural productiveness, and total financial development. Given the coun­attempt’s fiscal constraints and rising demand for higher infrastructure, it’s crucial to prioritise the com­pletion of crucial street initiatives.

The Bantama MP additional acknowledged that the financial and social ben­efits of an improved street community justify the dedication of succes­sive administrations to finishing inherited initiatives.

“In gentle of this, the current name by the Agbogbomefia of the Asogli State, Togbe Afede XIV, urging the federal government to prioritise the completion of inherited and ongo­ing street initiatives, notably the Jap Hall Street, is extremely commendable. Comparable calls from different revered conventional leaders reinforce the urgency of this challenge,” he famous.

Based on him, the East­ern Hall Street was a vital financial route, offering a extra direct hyperlink between the southern and northern components of Ghana, including that its completion would, subsequently, considerably improve connectivity and scale back transporta­tion prices.

“Whereas acknowledging the significance of those street web­works, I want to strongly enchantment to the federal government to contemplate the Central Hall, comprising the Accra-Kumasi- Offinso-Techi­man-Kintampo-Tamale-Bolgatan­ga-Paga route, with urgency for the Accra-Kumasi part.

This freeway, the busiest and most economically vital in Ghana, requires instant atten­tion the Accra-Kumasi Freeway which was a significant financial corri­dor that facilitates the motion of products and other people between Gha­na’s two largest cities,” he defined.

The previous Roads and Excessive­methods Minister indicated that greater than 10 million folks, making up roughly 30 per cent of Gha­na’s inhabitants, reside in Accra, Kumasi, and the foremost cities alongside this 240-km stretch.

Quoting a examine performed in 2001, Mr Asenso-Boakye warned that until crucial sections of the freeway was dualised, the economic system would face extreme disruptions.

With out pressing rehabilitation and growth, the prevailing street infrastructure won’t face up to the subsequent two wet seasons.

He famous that previous interventions by some administrations on the Ac­cra- Kumasi Freeway reveal the effectiveness of strategic street investments.

Below President John Agyekum Kufuor’s administration, Mr Asen­so-Boakye acknowledged that challenges at Nsawam, Kyebi, and Nkawkaw had been successfully addressed by developing bypasses through the reconstruction of the Accra-Kuma­si N6 freeway, which introduced lots of aid to street customers.

Equally, underneath the erstwhile President Akufo-Addo adminis­tration, recognising the urgency, the previous Roads and Highways minister mentioned the federal government initi­ated the development of 4 main bypasses a few of which had been at numerous levels of completion whereas a few of progressing steadily, and type a part of the broader plan to dualise the freeway.

“The completion of the reha­bilitation, growth, and mod­ernisation of this freeway would considerably improve commerce, enhance connectivity, scale back journey instances, and help regional financial development and integration,” he indi­cated.

BY TIMES REPORTER