Construction and rehabilitation of roads are progressing steadily in different parts of Eastern Region, Mr Osei Bonsu, Regional Maintenance Manager of Ghana Highway Authority, has said.

Early this year, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo declared 2021 as the "second year of roads," during his inaugural speech on January 7, stressing, he would focus on and prioritize road projects to improve Ghana's infrastructure deficit.

Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Koforidua, Mr Bonsu said all contractors awarded road rehabilitation or reconstruction in 2019/2020 in the Eastern Region were on site working to meet scheduled completion dates of the projects.

He said the projects were "critical cocoa roads" and included; ongoing rehabilitation of 21 kilometre-Adankrono-Kade road in the New Abirem District, which is 40 per cent complete, reconstruction of 20.5-kilometre Akyem-Kwabeng-Akyem-Akropong road and Akyem-Akropong 2.75-kilometre town roads, reconstruction of 24.8 kilometres Osiem-Begoro and 41.4km Kwabeng-Abomosu-Asuom roads.

Others include; reconstruction of 27.20km Akropong-Pramkese-Adankrono road, reconstruction of 27km Akim-Oda-Achiase-Amanfopong road, reconstruction of 16.5km Akyem-Swedru-Akyem Awisa road and partial reconstruction of 2.50km Kwahu-Atibie paragliding road phase two.

The critical roads included; rehabilitation of 0.33.2km New Abirem-Ofoasekuma road, rehabilitation of 15.3km Asamankese-Akroso road and 5.3km Akroso town roads, rehabilitation of 36.2km Akim-Oda-Ofoasekuma road and rehabilitation of 30-34.2 Suhum-Asamankese road.

The cocoa roads also included; reconstruction of 1.3km Asamankese town road, reconstruction of 0.20 Koforidua-Bunso road and rehabilitation of 35.5km Nkawkaw-Noyem-New-Abirem road and upgrading of 3.0km Akoase town roads.