The Wa Municipal Assembly in conjunction with the Road Agencies are to focus attention on sealing of roads within the Municipality in order to reduce the amount of dust generated daily through unsealed roads.

Total road network in the Municipality stands at 385.4 kilometres out of which 135.8 representing 35 percent is paved and 256.5 representing 65 percent is unpaved.

This has resulted in the concentration of businesses only at the centre of the Municipality, creating congestion at the heart of the town.

Mr. Issahaku Nuhu Putiaha, the Wa Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), said there was the need to focus on sealing the roads to make the outskirts of the town attractive for people to start or move their businesses out to reduce the congestion at the centre.

The MCE in the company of officials from the Urban Roads, Feeder Roads, and the media, visited some sites including the University for Development Studies, Wa campus, Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) residential area and the Kpaguri area, where work was currently on-going.

Mr. Putiaha said a lot was done to improve the road network within the Municipality last year, but with much concentration on the opening of new roads and construction of drainage systems.

He said this year, they were continuing in the same pace, but this time round with focus on sealing, and expressed the hope that they would be able to push the percentage of sealed and paved roads within the Municipality above that of the unsealed.

Mr Putiaha commended the funding commitment of the government through the Ghana Road Fund and the Ministry of Finance, saying “with such level of funding support they hope to achieve the best for the Municipality by creating the image of a city for it”.

Mr Samuel Mensah, Regional Director of the Department of Urban Roads, said the vision of the Department was to have “An integrated Urban Transport system responsive to societal needs”.

In line with the Department’s vision is the road map of bridging the gap between the paved and the unpaved roads in the region.

Taking the media through some primer sealing works in Wa, Mr. Mensah disclosed that 1.8km of roads around the Konta, the 1.8km Mangu and the 0.8km Dondoli roads, as well as the 0.6km Tender Care and 1.3km Dan Ibu roads were done last year.

The Regional Director mentioned obtaining machinery for works, locating outfalls for the drainage works, long haulage distances for some materials for works, and lack of permanent accommodation for both office and residence of staff, as some of the challenges facing the department.

Mr Mensah mentioned sealing of additional roads and graveling of plan roads for future sealing and continuing of key routine maintenance activities as part of the road map towards attaining their vision.