President John Dramani Mahama yesterday embarked on a one-day working visit to the Western Region where he cut the sod for the dualisation of the Takoradi-Cape Coast highway.
The 73.6-kilometre stretch is divided into three contiguous lots for efficient implementation, with nine interchanges, 10 bridges, 13 pedestrian facilities, 20-kilometre service roads, rest stops, and weighing stations.
The visit also took President Mahama to Apemanim in the Ahanta West District and Effia in Central Takoradi, where he inspected progress of work on the Western Regional Hospital and the Effia-Nkwanta Hospital Redevelopment and Public Health Laboratory projects respectively.
The working visit is in fulfilment of a campaign pledge President Mahama made to the people of the region to complete the health facilities started by the previous government and construct the road to open the region to the rest of the country.
Breaking the ground for the commencement of work on the dual carriage stretch, President Mahama said the project embodied the government’s resolve to modernise the road infrastructure whilst opening up the economy.
According to him, the construction of the stretch was long overdue as it had long outlived its lifespan, having become accident-prone.
Additionally, President Mahama said the project, estimated to be completed in 24 months, would reduce travel time between Cape Coast and Takoradi by 50 per cent.
He said the government would, from next year, introduce strict weight restrictions to protect the roads from deterioration before their lifespan.
Under the US$10 billion ‘Big Push’ accelerated infrastructure initiative, President Mahama said the Western Region is benefitting from its fair share of the national cake with GH¢7 billion worth of projects.
On the health facilities, the contractor, Amandi, said the 250-bed, five-floor Apemanim Regional Hospital, which started in September 2022 and stalled since 2023, is 27 per cent complete.
It has a surgical unit, ICU, blood bank, laboratories and pharmacy; children, maternity, female and male medical and surgical wards, among others, and is expected to be completed in 18 months.
The seven-floor, 500-bed Effia-Nkwanta Hospital redevelopment project, 45 per cent complete, on the other hand, is intended to expand the facility which has for many decades been the referral centre for the Western Region and upgrade it into a teaching hospital.
In separate remarks during the inspection of the health facilities, President Mahama said his government remained resolved to complete projects started by previous governments.
He said the practice where succeeding governments abandon works started by predecessor regimes was anti-development and must be stopped.
“Governance is like a relay where one government passes the baton. The previous government has handed over the baton to me and I’m committed to finish the race,” he said to loud applause.
FROM JULIUS YAO PETETSI, TAKORADI
🔗 Follow Ghanaian Times WhatsApp Channel today. https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbAjG7g3gvWajUAEX12Q
🌍 Trusted News. Real Stories. Anytime, Anywhere.
✅ Join our WhatsApp Channel now! https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbAjG7g3gvWajUAEX12Q
