The Member of Parliament (MP) for the Tarkwa-Nsuaem Constituency, George Mireku Duker, has inspected progress of work on the 67 kilometre Agona Nkwanta-Tarkwa road project which is ongoing, and being executed by M/S Rango-Gabriel Cuoto Consortium.
The inspection was to afford the MP as to how work on the project was progressing, from the Wassa Simpa camp site to the Wassa Agona and Effunta sections after the contractor moved to site.
The project would link Tarkwa to the port city of Takoradi and the national route, N1, which connects Ghana to Cote d’Ivoire.
It will also connect the minerals and agriculture-rich lands in the Western, Ashanti Western North and Central regions, becoming the major route to haul gold, manganese, cocoa, bauxite and timber to Takoradi.
The Resident Engineer, Eben Gyampo, reported that after the sod-cutting in September 2021, the design phase took engineers a while before they finally got approval in July, this year, for work to begin.
So far, he said, the contractor had done about two and half months of work on the drains at Nsuaem, Wassa Simpa, Wassa Agona and Effuanta at Tarkwa.
Earthworks, Gyampo stated, was also ongoing from the Apemanim end towards Tarkwa and at Wassa Agona.
“Major activities carried out include drainage of about 2 kilometres; and for completion we have done about 18 percent.
“The 95 million Euros project, funded by the Deutche Bank AG Frankfurt Germany, is to be completed in 36 months (31st August, 2024), and we have currently done two months, and so have less than two years to complete the job.”
The Resident Engineer added that the camp site at Wassa Simpa would produce concrete for the drains and asphalt for the entire project.
George Mireku Duker, on his part, said he lobbied on the floor of Parliament for the Tarkwa road project to be approved and executed, stressing that the government was eager to see the successful completion of the project.
Commending Gabriel Cuoto and team, Legislator Duker expressed the believed that the works, including excavations and clearing which was gathering momentum, showed the project would be speeded up and completed on time to ease the burden of communities along the stretch.
Duker, however, admitted difficulties such as proximity to gravel supplies, and the crash programme at Appiatse, had affected progress, but gave the assurance that all stakeholders would help address the gaps for the successful completion of the Agona- Tarkwa road project.
He recalled an experience during former President Kufuor’s tenure, when earlier attempts to get the Tarkwa road reconstructed suffered major setbacks and the road began to deteriorate because the base material was not certified.
MP Duker observed that Ghana Highway Authority had done due diligence on the quality for the road to last longer.
He was happy that the contractors agreed to also start from the Tarkwa, Effuanta, and Wassa Agona ends to reduce the pressure on the government, and also the worries of communities.
“I am happy about the efforts you are making to get the project completed on time. I commend the team for how prepared you are with your equipment well assembled and with a well- organised structures.
People are expecting that you speed up work for this deplorable road to be reconstructed. This engagement would be deepened so that, together with the Municipal Assembly, we get the difficulties resolved,” he remarked.
