The governments of the Republic of Ghana and Japan have officially signed an agreement on the project for the improvement of the Tema Motorway roundabout on Thursday, 2 July 2020, paving way for the second phase of a facelift exercise on one of Ghana’s oldest road infrastructure to proceed.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in June this year inaugurated the first phase of the newly constructed Tema Motorway Interchange, with an assurance that the second phase of the project will commence by the last quarter of the year.

The project, which is being financed with a grant of $56 million (six billion yen) secured from the Japanese government saw the completion of the first phase, a four-kilometre network comprising a two-tier intersection, a tunnel in the east-west direction, four kilometres of improved roads, four pedestrian bridges, one at each approach to the intersection, and the construction of several drainage structures

The Tema Motorway project also forms part of the government’s international corridor road improvement project and is aimed at ensuring efficiency in trade within the West African sub-region.

Speaking at an official signing ceremony at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration last Thursday, Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister, Charles Owiredu said the project was “in line with the president’s vision to improve the capacity, safety and efficiency of transport and freight on the Tema motorway roundabout as well as facilitate transit in the West African subregion.”

He added that phase II which is scheduled to commence in the fourth quarter of this year “will see the transformation of the parallel two-tier interchange into a three-tier one to further improve the turnaround time at the interchange. Besides the Tema Motorway roundabout project, Japan is supporting Ghana in the construction of a new bridge across the Volta river on the Eastern Corridor among other ongoing projects in the country. It is my hope that the project when completed, will ensure safe, efficient road transportation and contribute to the efficient flow of goods and services”

Also present at the ceremony was Japanese Ambassador to Ghana, Tsutomu Himeno and his entourage, officials from the Roads and Highways Ministry led by deputy sector minister Anthony Kabo.