The Bolgatanga-Bawku-Polimakom road project is to see the light of day after the Ghanaian Parliament recently approved an over US$151M loan agreement presented to the House by the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, on behalf of the Minister of Finance.
The loan which will come partly from Germany‘s KfW IPEX-Bank and UK’s HSBC Bank plc is meant to finance the construction of phase one of the Bolgatanga-Bawku-Polimakom road project which has been at a standstill.
The Government of Ghana initiated the project back in 2016 with funding from the Road Fund which according to the Finance Committee was unable to release the needed funds to finance the project and as a result the project stalled.
Under the credit arrangement, the HSBC Bank Plc., and the KfW IPEX-Bank GmbH will lend a total of over US$73M and US$78M respectively.
The Bolgatanga-Bawku-Polimakom road project
The project covers the entire 102.55km road which starts from Bolgatanga Municipality as a dual carriage road for 2 km and continues as a single carriageway through Zebilla, Bawku and ends at Polimakom.
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The scope of the work include the construction of a carriageway with a width of 3.65m x 2, and outer shoulders measuring 2.0m x 2. Three new bridges are also planned to be built over Kulaa, Red Volta and White Volta Rivers. At the same time the existing pipe culverts will be extended in addition to construction of new ones.
The project according to the finance committee is projected to be completed within a period of 17 months from the date of commencement.
Expectations for the project
Generally, the project is anticipated to reduce and improve waiting and travel times within the Bolgatanga and Bawku environs with consequent reduction in poverty and enhanced development in Ghana upon completion.
The government said that good road infrastructure is a critical facilitator of rapid socio-economic development of the country through the improvement of accesses, reduction in travel times, congestion, vehicle operating costs and accidents.
