Work is steadily progressing on the thirty-two (32) kilometre Hohoe-Jasikan portion of the much-talked-about Eastern Corridor road part of which passes through the Volta and Oti Regions.

The project which is currently more than forty-five (45) percent complete, is expected to be fully handed over by January, 2021.

The Eastern Corridor road has not only become a death trap for pedestrians and drivers but also a nuisance to many road users particularly drivers who ply between Hohoe and Jasikan and beyond.

The road has been on the drawing board of successive governments for several years until the previous National Democratic Congress (NDC) government began its construction before exiting power in January 2017.

Many residents living along this huge stretch of road have always held the view that successive governments including the erstwhile NDC have not done much to reconstruct this road, leading to the worsening plight of residents of the affected communities.

The only portion of the road that saw its fullest completion and inauguration on April 19, 2016, by the former President, John Dramani Mahama was the 46.4kilometre stretch from Dodo Pepesu to Nkwanta through Breweniase which was undertaken by the Kanazoe Construction Company Limited from Burkina Faso with funding from the European Union.

The Volta and Oti Regions’ stretch of the Eastern Corridor road begins from Asikuma Junction through Peki, Kpeve, Have, Nyagbo, Logba, Ve Golokuati, Hohoe, Jasikan, Kadjebi, Breweniase, Nkwanta and Kpassa ending at Damanko, the last community of the North-Eastern part of Oti.

Rolider Construction Company Limited which is currently working on the Hohoe-Jasikan section has finished some of the portions including areas between Jasikan and Bowiri Tsrahene in the Oti Region.

Concrete culverts and drill-out constructions, as well as sub-base civil works on some other portions including areas towards Hohoe in the Volta Region, are on-going.

The Site Engineer of the project, Carlos Andres Lopez who took our news team on a brief tour of the road, said the company is working very hard to ensure that the work is completed on time.

According to him, even though the weather is unpredictable in recent times, Rolider would heavily rely on its rich experience in road construction over the years to navigate the challenges in order to finish the contract on schedule.

The Project Manager, Tony Lansana was grateful to the chiefs and people of the area for the support and co-operation so far received towards the execution of the project. He appealed to drivers plying the road to exercise great caution and patience during these constructional periods and also obey the available temporal road signs on the road in their own interest.

He regretted a recent accident incident involving the death of one motor rider through a head-on collision on the road, emphasizing that a little caution and carefulness would have saved the situation.

A number of drivers our news team spoke to, were extremely happy that Rolider was back to the site to continue the work. They were optimistic that the project would not stall again as has been the case in the past.

The Eastern Corridor road is set to link the capital Accra with the northern hinterland and across the borders to the Sahel region. The project which is estimated to cost US$113.27m, covers sixty (60) km of roads, two (2) interchanges and related civil works, incorporating community support initiatives to help improve livelihoods in the catchment area.

Phase one (1) of the project covers the construction of roads and community development along Dorfor Adidome – Asikuma Junction (39.2km), Asutuare – Aveyime (23.9km) and the construction of two (2) interchanges at Dorfor Adidome and Asikuma Junction.

Upon completion, the road project would address the needs of an estimated 230,000 people and impact the lives of over 5.4 million inhabitants by reducing travel and transit time, supporting education and health services’ delivery alongside transforming agricultural potentials of the rural economies of the several beneficiary communities.

The stretch would be tolled and axle-weighing facilities provided to control overloading. It will additionally create about 1,500 direct jobs in the region.