Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has endorsed the the beginning of construction works on 145 different roads for a total of 100km of urban roads across six Metropolitan areas and Municipalities under the Kumasi City Inner Roads project in the Ashanti Region.

According to a press release from the Presidency, Districts to benefit from this project, to be completed in 30 months, include the Asokwa, Kwadaso, Oforikrom, New Tafo, Suame, Mampong and Effiduase. Manhyia, Bantama, Nhyiaeso and Subin, all sub–metros within the Kumasi Metro, would also benefit from this project.

Construction of the Kumasi Inner City roads is part of the Sinohydro Master Project Support Agreement (MPSA), signed in 2018 between the Government of Ghana and the Peoples Republic of China, through Sinohydro Construction to address the severe infrastructure deficit in the country. Under Phase 1 of the Agreement, a total of 441km of roads and two interchanges are to be constructed in Lots.

The new road works complement ongoing construction being undertaken in Kumasi by Contracta UK, captured under the Rehabilitation and Auxiliary Infrastructure of Kumasi Inner Ring Road and Adjacent Streets – Phase 1, for which sod was cut in 2019. That project is 96% complete and will be commissioned by the end of the second quarter, according to the contractor.

The Vice President made this known at Kwadaso on Friday, in a brief ceremony.

Dr. Bawumia also slammed critics of of the Sinohydro Master Project Support Agreement between Ghana and China and reiterated Government’s continued focus on upgrading the country’s infrastructure.

“As usual, the critics said the Sinohydro Agreement would never see the light of day. But today we are all witnesses to ongoing works across the country, including many in the Ashanti region. These projects have been programmed to commence in phases and, today, we are witnessing the turn of the Kumasi Inner City roads,” he explained.