The 27-kilometre project is expected to transform the 1965 constructed 4-lane motorway into a 10-lane facility to facilitate trans­portation from Ghana’s industrial hub, Tema to Accra and the rest of the country.

With a concession period of 30 years, the redevelopment of the motorway is expected to be com­pleted in 36 months.

The project comprises three sec­tions – the Accra-Tema Motorway which is 19.5 kilometres, redevel­opment of sections up to 5.7km on the George Walker Bush High­way, and rehabilitation of about 2.5 5km from the Achimota overhead to link the Neoplan interchange on the Accra-Nsawam highway.

As part of the project, Tetteh Quashie interchange would be re-modelled to reduce the current traffic congestion on the road.

There would be eight interchang­es at various sections of the project to enhance easy use for both vehicles and pedestrians and one per cent of the revenue accrued from the project to be given to the Ministry of Roads and Highways.

The project which forms part of the international transit corridor in the West Africa sub-region also comprises the operation and main­tenance of the road including road toll system on some sections.

Per the Roads and Transport Committee’s report which was unanimously approved, the Gov­ernment of Ghana would fund section one through a multi-year appropriation of the total cost in three years; US$125m, US$102 and US$153.

“The project is to be funded from the ABFA and as such, the schedule of disbursement will be aligned with the payment schedule under the EPC contract to mini­mise any contingent obligation to GoG,” the report said.

Moving the motion for the approval of the Committee’s re­port on the concessionary facility, Chairman of the Committee and MP for Akim Swedru, Kennedy Osei Nyarko, said the project would deepen commercial activities between Accra and Tema.

“The Committee, after careful­ly going through the agreement, recommends to the House to adopt the concession agreement under the public private partner­ship between the government of Ghana, represented by the Ministry of Roads and Highways and Atep Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the GIIF as the employer and Maripoma Enterprise Limited as Contractor,” Mr Nyarko submitted.

Ranking Member on the Com­mittee, Isaac Adjei Mensah, sec­onding the motion, said the project had the support of the Minority so as to develop the country and bring relief to citizens who used that stretch in the daily basis.

“This project is appropriate that is why we support it and we expect that the first tranche will be execut­ed to give room for the second and third tranches,” Mr Mensah urged.

Being the GIIF’s first road proj­ect, the redevelopment of the busy stretch comes on the back of years of agitation by commuters over the poor state of the Tema Motorway.

It is estimated that about 40,000 vehicles ply the motorway on daily basis to connect to other parts of the country and the sub-region.