Accra, Feb. 21, GNA - The 11.7-kilometre Pantang Junction-Peduase Road regarded as 'Presidential Project', which is expected to be ready by March 6, this year is progressing steadily. The project, which started in September, last year is estimated at 83.6 billion cedis with a 10.6-million dollar component and it is being financed by the Government.

Mr Ntim Frimpong, Resident Manager, of the project who conducted Journalists to inspect the extent of work done in the past five months, said "the tax payer must know what his or her money is used for.' Mr Frimpong described the Pantang Junction-Peduase road as a 'Presidential one', since according to him, the road led to the President's official lodge.

The project was also designated the 'Dualization of the Pantang-Peduase section of the 29.4 kilometres Pantang-Mamfe road project'.

The on-going Pantang-Peduase road is a two-lane dual carriageway approximately 11.7 km long being constructed through a hilly and rolling terrain. It is located in the Greater Accra and the Eastern Regions of the country.

The route followed the alignment of the old bituminous road from Pantang Junction to Peduase.

The scope of work among others included mainly widening of existing single lane carriage road to dual carriageway with asphaltic concrete, provision of appropriate drainage structures and the provision of streetlights from Pantang Junction to Peduase. Mr Frimpong said, "The first 7.5 km of the road is natural sub-base, crushed stone base, asphaltic concrete binder course and asphaltic concrete wearing course".

According to him, "the next 4.2 km had crushed rock base, asphaltic binder course and asphaltic wearing course.

The dual carriageway would be separated with 'New Jersey barrier', a system of separating two lanes from the other with concrete structure. The GNA observed that at the Peduase end of the road, a stretch of hill had been blasted to pave way for expansion work while part of the valley had been filled, making the hilly road a bit gentle. At Ayi Mensah, it was observed that many houses and kiosks had been demolished, while farmlands were destroyed. Mr. Frimpong said compensation package of 6.3 billion cedis had been assessed and that out of the amount 2.7 billion cedis part payment had been made to the affected people. The contractor of the project is Messrs China International Water and Electric Corporation, with Mr. Shao Yonjun as Project Manager. The consultant is Messrs Comptran rpt Comptran Engineering and Planning Associates. 21 Feb. 07