President John Dramani Mahama has assured Ghanaians that roads in the worst condition, as well as those most frequently used, will be prioritized for repairs and construction as part of government’s infrastructure agenda.
He said although not all roads have been captured yet, government has already begun the design and costing of several projects, with construction expected to commence next year.
Speaking during a sod-cutting ceremony at the Sunyani Outer Ring Road in the Bono Region, President Mahama stressed that roads not mentioned in current plans have not been abandoned.
“Just because a particular road has not yet been mentioned in government plans, it does not mean it will be ignored,” he said.
The President officially cut the sod for a number of major road projects, including the Sunyani Outer Ring Road, Wenchi–Bamboi, Sunyani Acherene–Acherensua, Berekum–Siekwa–Nsokor, Wenchi–Nsokor–Sampa, and Berekum–Jinijini–Sampa.
He further disclosed that more roads will be added in the coming years. “Additional roads such as Tepa–Mankraso and Kumasi–Sunyani will be added for construction as part of government’s broader plan to improve the nation’s road network and enhance connectivity across regions,” President Mahama stated.
Touching on funding, President Mahama described the Big Push programme as exceptional, stating that sufficient budgetary allocation has been made to support projects under the initiative.
He assured contractors that funds are readily available for their works.
“There is enough money for projects under the Big Push. Once contractors complete their work properly and submit their certificates, their payments will be made within two weeks,” he said.
The President therefore urged contractors under the Big Push programme to speed up their work and submit their certificates promptly to ensure the smooth progress of projects.
He cautioned that delays should not be blamed on government. “If a contractor is not working fast, it is not because government has not paid him. That will be his own fault,” he stressed.
President Mahama reiterated that roads in deplorable condition and those with high traffic volumes will be tackled first before attention is turned to other roads.
He again assured Ghanaians that the absence of a road from current announcements does not mean it has been excluded.
He added that the ongoing design and costing of additional roads will allow government to roll out more projects from next year, stressing that the overall objective is to deliver long-term economic benefits through strategic infrastructure development.
