Ghana Highways Authority urges creation of designated fund for road maintenance

Mr Harold Atobra-Acheampong, the Acting Bono Regional Director of the Ghana Highways Authority has called for the creation of a designated fund to finance road maintenance in the country.'Alternative sources of funding for road maintenance are required to tackle the funding deficit in the road maintenance sector,' she stated when speaking at the launch of the 50th Anniversary celebration of the Bono Regional office of the Authority in Sunyani.Several activities including free health screening exercises, tree planting and fun games are outlined for the anniversary celebration on the theme 'Development and Maintenance of Quality Highways: Retrospect and Prospects'.?Mr Atobra-Acheampong said road infrastructure development remained essential to spur economic growth and development however the nation ought to also consider other sources of funding for road maintenance too.He said the Authority in the region had received financial clearance to rehabilitate the Wenchi-Techiman, Berekum-Sampa, and Sunyani-T echiman highways.Mr Atobra-Acheampong explained that contracts had been awarded, assuring that the contractors were well equipped to execute quality work upgrades to prolong their lifespan.Madam Justina Owusu-Banahene, the Bono Regional Minister acknowledged and appreciated the contributions of the Authority in the development of road infrastructure in the region over the past five decades.'The Authority has been instrumental in connecting rural communities to urban centres, and thereby providing essential access for industries and markets,' she stated, adding that had significantly contributed to the socio-economic transformation of the region and the nation by extension.Madam Owusu-Banahene said the region had benefited from improved road infrastructure that had facilitated access to education, healthcare, and agriculture, saying she was hopeful that at least all the major highways would be put into good shape.She said the GHA ought to embrace modern technologies, sustainable materials, and innova tive engineering practices to reduce maintenance costs, and prolong the longevity of roads and highways in the country.Mr Samuel Kwabena Opoku, the Managing Director of Sames Company Limited, a road construction firm and Chair of the Bono Regional Contractors Association called for effective collaboration between the GHA and road contractors.He also appealed to the government to facilitate prompt payment of construction works saying the late payment of contractors remained a key factor that contributed to delays in execution of road projects in the country.Source: Ghana News Agency