President John Dramani Mahama has set 2028 as the target for completing the Navrongo–Chuchuliga–Tumu–Wa road corridor, assuring residents that the project will receive sustained funding under the government’s Big Push programme.
President Mahama gave the assurance on Friday after inspecting ongoing work on the Navrongo–Chuchuliga–Tumu section in the Upper East Region.
He said the road was critical to improving the link between the Upper East and Upper West regions, particularly for travellers moving between Bolgatanga and Wa through Tumu.
The entire Navrongo-Chuchuliga-Tumu-Wa corridor has been divided into lots and awarded to different contractors, he said. The section inspected is being constructed by MyTurn Construction.
President Mahama recalled that government cut the sod for the project in 2016, but work stalled after his administration left office.
“I am therefore happy to have come back here, and this time the project is being implemented under the Big Push programme,” he said.
Guaranteed funding
The President said projects under the Big Push were treated as priority infrastructure and backed by annual budgetary allocations to ensure contractors were paid promptly.
“As soon as certificates are presented, payment is guaranteed within 30 days,” he said, adding that timely payments would enable contractors to remain on site and maintain the pace of work.
He commended MyTurn Construction for its performance and urged the company to maintain the construction schedule.
President Mahama said completing the project on time could position the contractor to secure additional work under the second phase of the Big Push.
“The engineers have assured us that the work is on schedule, and so we hope that you will maintain the schedule so that by next year we can return to commission this road,” he said.
He expressed the hope that the entire corridor linking the Upper East Region to Wa would be completed by 2028, providing motorists with a safer and smoother connection between the two regions.
More roads coming
President Mahama said the government was preparing additional phases of the Big Push to address roads that were not captured under the first phase.
“We are already scoping a second phase of the Big Push,” he said.
He acknowledged concerns from communities whose roads were left out of the first phase, but assured them that the programme would be expanded.
“We are going to have a second phase and even a third phase of the Big Push,” he said.
The President said the broader objective was to establish reliable road links between regional capitals while improving major roads in selected districts.
He expressed confidence that by the end of the five-year Big Push programme, more communities across the country would benefit from improved road infrastructure.
“By the time we complete the entire Big Push programme in five years, I am sure everybody will be satisfied and everybody’s road will have been captured,” President Mahama said.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
