President John Kufuor on Monday cut the sod for work to commence on the ?210bn Kwame Nkrumah Circle-Achimota Road and said it is the beginning of the big push to develop the country's infrastructure and build a modern road network to open up the country for rapid development.

The seven-kilometre six-lane road from the Nkrumah Circle to the former Neoplan Assembly Plant at Achimota, forms part of the Accra-Kumasi road network being constructed by Taysec Limited and is scheduled for completion in 32 months.

President Kufuor said the nation expected good quality work to be done as fast as possible but there should not be compromise on speed and quality. "I expect the supervisory agency and the consultants to approach the job with the dedication that it deserved and ensure the integrity of the work."

President Kufuor said commencement of work on the road was in fulfilment of the promise he made in his 2002 State of the Nation Address that work on the three strategic arterial roads leading out of the nation's capital, as well as other roads which had been on the drawing board for a long time would commence this year.

He said this was the most important road in the country because not only did it connect the two biggest cities in the country but also connected the northern parts and neighbouring landlocked Sahelian countries.

"It is the road that carries the biggest human and economic traffic and it had been the dream of successive governments to build this road to a standard that will befit the amount of traffic it carries. I am proud it has fallen on my government to make this dream a reality," he added.

Dr Richard Winfred Anane, Minister of Roads and Highways, said the road was noted for its high traffic density and pollution, being a disincentive to production and service delivery.

He said its reconstruction would address these problems and pave the way or an effective free flow of transport and service delivery. Dr Anane said the seriousness government had attached to the road sector as reflected in the rehabilitation of many roads throughout the country his year. He added that in furtherance of this policy government had decided to rehabilitate many feeder roads.

He explained that government was pursuing these road rehabilitations as well as the airports, seaports and the railway system to bring comfort to the people to liberate their potentials to create wealth and support development.

Dr Anane appealed to commuters and road users on the road who will be affected to bear with the government during the period of the reconstruction. A statement issued by the Ministry of Information and Presidential Affairs on the project said the road to be reconstructed would help ease the perennial traffic within the corridor, cut down on travelling time between Accra and Kumasi and enhance the aesthetic beauty of the capital city.

It said diversions would be created at various points along the corridor to ease any inconvenience during construction and hoped the public would cooperate to ensure the successful completion of the project on schedule.

The statement said apart from the six-lane carriageway, the project involved the creation of a new access route to the Accra Industrial Area from the north and a flyover to cater for the railway line at Alajo Junction, access road to Alajo would solve the perennial problem.

Two pedestrian footbridges would be provided at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle and Avenor and several junctions to be controlled by traffic lights would be created while walkways and cycle ways, among others, would also be provided.

The statement said tro-tros and taxis would be relocated to a new transport terminal to be constructed at the Achimota School. The statement said the government had paid 106.44 million cedis in "Supplemental Assistance" to 104 people whose kiosks and containers would be affected by the project.

In all about ?130m would be paid as "Supplemental Allowance" to 131 people whose kiosks and containers would be displaced by the project. The statement said 22 properties whose walls would be affected by the project have been reconstructed at proposed positions and the old walls demolished with the full cooperation of the affected landlords.

It said the government had also instructed the Ministry of Finance to arrange the prompt payment of a total of ?1.2bn to eight people whose properties would be substantially affected by the project.

The affected properties include the Ghana Railway Corporation quarters at Alajo, Alhaji Sinare's building at Avenor Junction, Habib Adam's building at Achimota and the Kum Furniture Shop at Avenor Junction.

The rest are Enoch Ago Quartey at Avenor Junction, Mary Thompson at Abeka Junction, Abdulai Lamptey at Abeka Junction and the Aams Hotel at Kwame Nkrumah Circle. The statement said meanwhile, assessment of frontage for about 60 others estimated at ?8.9bn cedis by the Land Valuation Board is ongoing.

It said this, however, is not likely to affect access to the site for construction, as the use of the affected properties have not been compromised in any way. "The government wishes to state that the compulsory acquisition of land based on Act 25 of 1962 is standard practice in road projects and compensation is paid to the person or persons who can demonstrate uncontested interest in the land or property." It added.