The Minister of Roads and Highways, Mr Kwesi Amoako-Atta, who made this known yesterday said the Ministry of Finance had already released the money to the contractor with a directive to him to complete the construction of the road in six months.

He stated this when he led a team from the ministry to inspect on-going work on some road projects in Accra, including the Teshie Link road, also known as the LEKMA road.

The road

The deplorable state of the 7.5-km Teshie road has been a subject of grave concern to many residents of the area and the public.

The road connects the Spintex Road to the Accra-Tema Beach road, but work on it had stalled since 2016.

Unfortunately, it is the only alternative route to residential areas around the Manet Estate, off the Spintex Road.

Residents and commuters alike have had cause to complain about the road, decrying the potholes which keep increasing in size and depth by the day.

During the tour of the road, it was observed that road construction equipment, including road rollers and caterpillars, had already been assembled on the stretch and part of it had already been tarred.

Assurance

Mr Amoako-Atta assured residents that the government was more committed to completing work on that road, indicating that “we are willing to complete all roads in the country. The problem is that there are not enough resources to enable us  to touch all roads at the same time. Due to this, we have to prioritise some of the critical roads in the country”.

“This LEKMA road has been one of the critical roads in the country, reason being that it is the road which leads to a referral hospital, which is the LEKMA Hospital. We are going to ensure serious works on this road, so that it can be completed within six months,” he added.

Other places visited

From the LEKMA road, the team went to Ashongman Estates to inspect ongoing work on a bridge in the area.

The minister instructed the contractor to ensure that work was completed before September this year.

 “We are going to make sure we provide you with enough funds to enable you to finish within the given time frame,” he added.

The team also visited Agbogbloshie to inspect  work on the dual carriageway which is yet to commence.

Background

In a recent press briefing, the Minister of Information, Mr Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, stated that the government, in partnership with Messrs DSR Holdings Inc, a company based in Dubai, had selected a contractor to complete works on the Teshie link.

That followed an offer the company from the United Arab Emirates made to the Ministry of Roads and Highways to fund that road and other roads.

He  said the company had indicated it would source for funds from the Development Bank of Belarus and the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID).

Mr Nkrumah added that a term sheet had already been forwarded by the Ministry of Roads and Highways to the Ministry of Finance and was yet to be subjected to Cabinet and parliamentary approval.