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| President Mahama climbing to operate the excavator to break the ground |
President John Dramani Mahama yesterday cut sod for the construction of the Kasoa Interchange project, describing it as a "transformational project" that will transform the area and positively impact the lives of the people.
Amidst excitement among the dhiefs and people of the area, the official ground breaking ceremony paves the way for the full execution of the project that involves the construction of three flyovers, link roads, bridges, bus terminals and social amenities like school blocks, water facilities and a new polyclinic to address the needs of the people in the communities.
The project, which is aimed at solving the intense traffic problem on the Accra-Winneba road, is expected to open up Kasoa, a sprawling township on the boundary between Greater Accra and the Central regions, for economic development.
Being executed by the Brazilian construction firm, Queiroz Galvao Construction with a loan from the Brazilian government, the project woud be substantially completed by October this year.
According to President Mahama, the components of the project have been carefully developed to promote the welfare of the people in Kasoa and surrounding communities, adding that it was indicative of his government's commitment to promote sustainable development.
"This project has been designed to benefit commuters who pass through this area by easing the traffic, and solving the development challenges of the communities," he stressed.
He thanked the Brazilian government for supporting the project which wasmin line with government's vision of enhancing the infrastructure base of the country.
He cited many other road infrastructure projects in other parts of the country which he explained were all geared towards opening up communities for development as part of the government's transformational agenda.
Touching on the cost of the interchange project, the President took a swipe at the main opposition leader, Nana Akuffo Addo, who recently accused the government of bloating the cost of the project.
He said the opposition leader was wrong because he failed to take into consideration the numerous components and factors of the project for his cost evaluation.
"This is not just any project, and you need to know all the components before you can cost it.
"When we have a new breed of political quantity surveyors costing projects any how, then we have a problem," he said.
Responding to concerns of the chiefs over the payment of compensation to land and shop owners who property have been affected by the project, President Mahama said he has directed the Minister of Roads and Highways to set up a committee to collaborate with chiefs and Municpial Assembly to work out the modalities for compensation payment.
Madam Irene Vida Gala, Brazilian Ambassador to Ghana, for her part, was confident that the contractor would deliver a quality project as evidenced in its performance on the Nkrumah Circle interchange project which is nearing completion.
She commended government over the objectives of the project, indicating that the Brazilian government was commitment in partnering Ghana towards advancing development for the citizenry.
Nai Abokuade Agyemang Whettey Otabil III, Paramount Chief of Awutu Traditional Area, welcoming the President to the area, lauded the project, which he described as "one of the great projects of our time."
He commended the government for the foresight, and gave assurance of their support and cooperation to ensure the successful completion of the project.
The chief also expressed concern about the boundary impasse between Awutu Senya East in the Central region and Ga South in Greater Accra, saying there was a need for a clearly defined boundary so that the issue "does not become a stumbling block to development."
Alhaji Inusah Fuseini, Minister of Roads and Highways, giving an insight into the traffic situation which the project seeks to address, said the main Kosoa road has a daily traffic volume of 23,000 vehicles, with peak hour traffic exceeding 6,000 vehicles per hour.
"The travel speed along the road is less than 5km/hour during peak periods. Sometimes the situation is chaotic with its attendant safety challenges," he said.
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