Kumasi, Feb. 24, GNA - Dr Richard Winfred Anane, Minister of Road Transport on Friday said the strategic location of Kumasi as the second city in Ghana required the construction of more access roads within the metropolis to help ease vehicular congestion.

He said traffic levels within the city's major arterial road network had remained unacceptably as a result of traffic congestion therefore, the Government's desire to embark on some road construction to facelift the city.

Dr Anane was addressing a public forum on urban roads and development of arterial road projects in Kumasi. The forum attended by carpenters, mechanics, civil servants and residents within the metropolis was organized by the Ministry of Road Transport in collaboration with the Department of Urban Roads to solicit views from the public about their projects.

Roads to be constructed and developed under the project include the Oforikrom-Asokwa bypass, the dual industrial road at Asokwa (Lake Road) an inter-change at Timber Gardens and development of a purpose-built Wood Village at Sokoban to relocate wood workers from Anloga.

Other roads envisaged to be constructed under the project include a dual-carriage way from Suame Roundabout to Ahwiaa, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital to Bekwai Roundabout stretching through Sofoline to Abuakwa and another expanse of road from the Western bypass through Sofoline Roundabout to Santasi Roundabout.

Dr Anane said the road construction was made possible under a joint agreement of Agence Francaise Development (AFD) and the Government of Ghana with the French Government providing a loan of 23 million Euros through AFD while the Government provided compensation for the relocation of residents to be affected.

He said the Government was committed to develop the country's infrastructure to a level that would help the cities become competitive in the global village.

Dr Anane said numerous infrastructure projects including road construction in many parts of the country were ample testimony of the Government's commitment to improve the living standards of the people. Mr Twumasi Boateng, Director of the Department of Urban Roads, noted that construction of Kumasi roads would affect more than 6,000 people whose buildings and properties would be destroyed but the Government would pay them compensations.

Oheneba Adusei Poku, Akyempimhene, said it was gratifying that the metropolis would enjoy such a facelift and appealed to the Government and the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) to ensure that the relocation of carpenters at Anloga to the proposed Sokoban village was executed on time. During an open forum, the affected people expressed dissatisfaction about their displacement and the destruction of their properties as a result of the project and appealed to the Government to fulfil its pledge to compensate them. 24 Feb.06