The Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia on Monday cut the sod for the construction of a 167-kilometer highway from Tamale through Yendi to Tatale in the Northern Region.

The massive highway, which has significant portions of it untarred for decades under successive governments, forms part of the Eastern Corridor road linking major towns in the Northern, North East, Upper East, Oti, Volta and Greater Accra Regions.

The $150m project, which will include the provision of socio-economic complementary interventions in the form of schools, boreholes, and clinics within the project communities (Tamale, Mion, Yendi, Zabzugu & Tatale), has been broken into two lots; with lot one being the 61.98km Tatale-Yendi road and lot 2 the 106km Yendi-Tamale road.

In Dr Bawumia’ speech at the ceremony, He described the sod cutting for commencement of work as “historic”, and a demonstration of President Akufo-Addo’s inclusive development vision for all, especially the North.

“We are here to witness the historic sod-cutting for the construction of the Tatale-Yendi-Tamale road which forms part of the Eastern Corridor roads which links Tema, Asikuma, Hohoe, Bimbilla, Yendi, Gushegu, Gbintiri, Bunkprugu, Garu, Bawku and Polimakom”

“Today’s ceremony is of great significance to us since it promotes the Government’s drive to ensure inclusive and balanced development in

Northern Ghana – an area that was identified in the 2014 Household Survey as one of the poorest parts of the country,” he added.

“In the history of our country since independence, no government has attempted to tar this road and today’s sod cutting a dream come true.” the Vice President stated.

The Tamale-Yendi-Tatale Road Project, is being fully funded by a USD 150 million World Bank facility under the Transport Sector Improvement Project (TSIP).