The Minister of Roads and Highways, Kwasi Amoako-Attah, has said government was constructing 50 more bridges in farming communities, to facilitate socio-economic activities in the country.
He said the 50 Czech steel bridges with a total span of 1,500 metres, was secured through Messrs Knights A/S, with support from the Czech government to replace deteriorated bridges, “to open up communities which hitherto were cut off due to water crossing points.”
The Minister disclosed these when he led a delegation to the Czech Republic, at the invitation of Messrs Knights A/S, to discuss progress of work in Ghana by the company which was secured under a Czech export credit facility, and negotiated for an additional 100 of steel bridges.
As part of the three-day working visit to the Czech Republic, the Minister held bilateral meetings with officials of ČSOB Bank, EGAP(Czech Insurance company), Raiffeisen Bank, the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Transport, Trade and Industry of the Czech Republic.
According to Mr Amoako-Attah, :“The bridges would help reduce travel time and make the movement of people from local communities more accessible, as well as remove traffic bottlenecks at river crossings and contribute to the growth of the agricultural sector.”
He indicated that of the 50 bridges, 34 were 90 per cent (substantial) complete while 10 were ready for use.
“Some of the substantially completed bridges, include those over the stream at Taifa-Dome in the Greater Accra Region, the Okurudu Stream at Kpormettey in the Central Region and another over the Birim River on Akim Mamponp-Adasawase road in the Eastern Region, one on the Kokoso-Bohyen Road in the Ashanti Region and another over the Kamba River on Sentu-Girigan-Kpari road in the Upper West Region,” Mr Amoako-Atta, said.
He explained that additional 100 bridges, when secured, would be fixed on feeder roads across the country, to help improve accessibility in farming communities and also replace some existing steel bridges that have deteriorated over the years.”
Mr Amoako-Attah eulogised the cordial relations between Ghana and the Czech Republic, dating back to 1959 and the role Czech investment has played in the economic development of Ghana.
While informing them of the positive outcome of Ghana’s negotiations with the IMF, the minister appealed to the Czech Republic for more support in the supply of steel bridges.
The Chief Executive Officer of EGAP, Dr David Havelicek, expressed satisfaction with the progress Knight A/S has made in the installation of 50 steel bridges in Ghana, and assured Mr Amoako-Attah of his company’s support for Ghana.
Contract agreements for the financing of the project were signed by the Ghana Government, Knights A/S and the Ceskoslovenska Obchodni Bank on April 2, 2019.
Mr Amoako-Attah was accompanied by Dr Abass Mohammed Awolu, Chief Director of the Ministry of Roads and Highways; James Nyasembi, and Ahmad Tijani Abubakari, Ambassador and Deputy Ambassador, respectively, of Ghana to the Czech Republic; Dr Karl Laryea, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Knight, Mr Lanka Laryea, President of Knight and other officials from the Ghanaian Embassy in the Czech Republic.
BY LAWRENCE VOMAFA-AKPALU
