A Major highway in Ghana is to be expanded in reconstruction plan due to start March 2016,Inusah Fuseini, Ghana’s Roads Minister has announced.
The feasibility studies are underway to give the project backers a clear understanding of the entire cost for the road reconstruction.
The project will be executed on a public-private partnership model. The private partners will be given a concession period to amortize whatever investment will be made on the road. The survey is to determine the underground soil conditions and the road structural integrity.
The 19km 2-lane dual-carriageway, Accra-Tema motorway will be constructed with 2m bituminous surface dressed shoulders and cement-concrete surfacing. The road project will forms an integral part of the National Route 1(N1) starting from Aflao (in the Volta Region) and ending at Elubo (in the Western Region). The project will as well link the Kotoka International Airport and Tema Port, Accra city and the Trans West African Highway (Abidjan-Lagos Corridor).
According to Average Annual Daily Traffic (AADT) the road can accommodate a total number of 65,200 vehicles per day (vpd), similar to 16% vehicles in the medium and heavy groups.
The project design comprises of provision of 2-lane service roads at both sides of the motorway with Asphaltic Concrete surfacing, replacement of existing 150mm reinforced concrete slabs with 200mm ones; provision of 200 – 300mm natural gravel sub-base on the service roads, provision of 200 – 300mm crushed rock base on the service roads. Currently, the condition of the road is generally fair, with deplorable sections in the outer lane of the Tema-Accra direction.
The Meridian Port Services (MPS) is the company behind the expansion project of the road. However, the Company has committed to source funding to ensure that construction of the motorway is added to the port expansion on the Public Private Partnership (PPP).
The Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) signed a deed for the commencement of work on the US$1.5bn Tema Port expansion project in June 2015. The Meridian Port Services (MPS), is one of the top container terminal operators in Africa.
MPS is also in a joint venture between GPHA, APM and Bolloré Africa Logistics, as principal investors and leading container terminal operators in the world. The road project is scheduled to be completed in 4years time making Ghana a maritime hub and the most efficient one-stop port services centre in the region and the rest of Africa.
Besides taxes and social security contributions, the project is also expected to generate about 5,000 jobs for skilled professionals as well as unskilled labour.
