100 Steel bridges to be constructed— To close rural-urban gap

One hundred steel bridges are to be constructed in some selected rural communities in the country in line with the government’s rural development agenda.
Mr Joe Gidisu, the Minister of Roads and Highways, who announced this, said the project would help bridge the rural-urban gap in the country and accelerate the development agenda for the people in the rural areas.
He said the project would be executed with a loan of $87 million and in collaboration with Acrow Construction of the United States of America (USA).
Mr Joe Gidisu made this known when the US Ambassador to Ghana, Mr Donald Teitelbaum, paid a courtesy call on him in Accra on Monday.
It is expected to commence in June, 2009 and will be done in three phases within a three-year period. Officials of the ministry noted, however, that discussions on the locations were ongoing.
“Most of the food crops get rotten on the farms particularly in the rainy season because the farmers are unable to transport the food crops to the market places in the cities,” Mr Gidisu observed.
The minister also reiterated the government’s commitment to make the rural areas economically viable to curb the rural urban migration for non-existent jobs.
He expressed the government’s appreciation to the US government for its assistance over the years, while pledging his commitment to consolidating the already existing relationship between the two countries.
Mr Teitelbaum, who was accompanied by Mr James Bednar, a Director at the US Embassy, said the road sector formed an integral part of the economic development of every nation.
“As an economic partner, we will continue to support the government to be able to execute its development policies for the people,” he said.
He mentioned some of the Millennium Development Authority (MiDA) projects in the country particularly the Tetteh-Quarshie-Mallam Motorway Extension, as part of his government’s assistance to Ghana to have good roads in the country for easy transportation.