President John Dramani Mahama has stated that feasibility studies were underway for the design of a new national capital.

That, he explained, was to address the mounting pressure from rapid urbanisation, traffic congestion and inadequate infrastructure.

“It is time to think long-term and plan for a new city to ease this burden,” Mr Mahama said while addressing a durbar of Chiefs and people at Dodowa last Friday during his ‘Thank You’ visit.

The government, he said, was already considering the design and feasibility study for the bold initiative. 

Decongestion

He said the envisioned city would serve as a secondary administrative and commercial hub, helping to decongest the capital by relocating select government ministries, departments, agencies and financial institutions.

“I believe that this city will be located somewhere on the Accra plains from Bundase, straddling across the Greater Accra, Eastern and Volta regions.

The city will straddle three regions,” he noted.

He said the new capital city would stretch to the banks of the Volta River, and there would be a railway link and an expressway that would link the new city to Accra.

President Mahama said he envisioned it as a green, digital metropolis featuring industrial parks, financial services and tourist attractions operating as a 24-hour economy, explaining that the rapid urbanisation, gridlock and inadequate infrastructure have become a pressing concern that needs a permanent solution.

Ridge Hospital

To expand access to quality healthcare services, he said the government would upgrade the Greater Accra Regional Hospital (Ridge Hospital) into a full-fledged Teaching Hospital.

“We will also construct Ridge Hospital Phase Two, which will increase the capacity of that hospital as a teaching hospital in the Greater Accra Region,” he added.

This, he said, would enhance specialist training and reduce referrals outside the region.

He said other health projects earmarked for development were the expansion of the CHIPS Compounds in peri-urban communities like Bortianor, Kpone and Shai Osu-Doku.

To facilitate a vibrant 24-hour economy, which seeks to maximise productivity and economic opportunities, the President also announced mass distribution and installation of streetlights in all districts of Greater Accra, to enhance security. 

Roads

President Mahama listed a number of priority roads and other projects for Greater Accra.

The road projects, he said, involved the rehabilitation of major corridors, expansion of existing ones and the construction of an outer Ring Road, which would divert traffic to bypass Accra to the northern and western parts of the country to ease congestion.

“And so it means trucks and others coming from Lome and going to Kumasi or Takoradi don’t need to come through Accra; they’ll pass on the Outer Ring Road and continue their journey,” he emphasised.

On the list are the ongoing Adenta-Dodowa Road, the La-Teshie Link, the Tema Harbour-Tema General Hospital-Motorway Road, the Apolonia-Oyibi Road and the Tema Motorway Expansion; the reconstruction of the stretch from Dahwenya to Afienya, Afienya to Dodowa,  Doryumu to Dodowa and Ashaiman to Madina.

The Nungua Mantse and President of the Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs, Oboade Notse King Professor Odaifio Welentsi III, on behalf of traditional leaders, said their confidence in President Mahama remains high, following positive signs recorded so far under his ‘Reset Ghana’ agenda.