AGONA JUNCTION-ELUBO ROAD TO BE RECONSTRUCTED (PAGE 14)

THE 110-kilometre Agona Junction-Elubo road which forms part of the Abidjan-Lagos Corridor, an international road which cuts across Cote d’lvoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin and Nigeria, is to be reconstructed.
The project, which is to begin in June next year is part of the Aflao-Accra-Cape Coast-Takoradi-Elubo road.
The road has been designed to meet high international standards.
A public forum was held at Esiama in the Ellembelle District last Tuesday where engineering designs of the road were exhibited to solicit stakeholders’ contributions, suggestions, comments, concerns and complaints towards the final design of the project for approval by the World Bank.
In his presentation on the engineering designs and provisions for traffic safety to the public at Esiama, a principal engineer of the Ghana Highway Authority (GHA) headquarters in Accra, Mr Joseph Atsu Amedzake, said rumble strips would be installed at community entrances and junction approaches to calm traffic.
He said guard rails would be fixed at sections which would have side activities to prevent random crossing of pedestrians that could lead to accidents, while service lanes and lay-bys would be provided.
He said the major junctions to be improved include the Esiama Junction, Alabokazo Junction, Ayisakro Junction and Apimanim Junction.
The principal engineer said one axle load station would be constructed to check excessive loading of vehicles.
This, he said, was to ensure that the investment made on the project was protected.
The Principal Valuer of the Ghana Highway Authority, Mr Kofi Archer-Kwajan, said so far, the project had identified 2,094 properties, including 744 houses and 1,350 farms to be affected.
He said the houses had been inspected and measured, while the farms and crops had been enumerated for the payment of compensation.
The Western Regional Minister, Mr Paul Evans Aidoo, said the chiefs and people should attend such fora to express their views and make suggestions on the designs and not to wait for the project to begin before they write protest letters against the contractor.
A Senior Social Development Specialist of the World Bank, Dr Antoine Lema, said the policy of the bank was that the people must be involved in whatever project the bank was funding, and that it should be beneficial to the people.
The Director of Planning of the Ghana Highway Authority, Mr Peter Asumadu, said the project was not intended to leave anybody poorer than he/she was after its implementation.
He said all gravel pits where gravels would be taken for the project would be reclaimed for the landowners to continue their farming activities.
Mr Asumadu explained that engineering, environment, driver behaviour, the condition of the vehicle; downpour and fog were contributory factors to the numerous road accidents in the country.
He said all the stakeholders in the road sector were working towards the reduction of road accidents in the country.