Accra, June 23, GNA - Dr Richard Anane, Road Transport Minister, on Friday told Parliament that feasibility and engineering design studies for the Agona Junction-Elubo road were currently being conducted. He said the studies, which began this year and being funded by the African Development Bank, would be completed early next year.

Dr Richard Anane was answering a question on when the construction of Elubo township roads and drains would begin to avoid flooding during the rainy season. The Minster said the road network in the Elubo Township were unpaved and were lacking proper drainage structures, but the studies taking place would "factor in drainage issues on the Elubo town roads."

"The appropriate engineering solutions to the flooding, traffic management issues on the main road through the township to the border and the rehabilitation of the main road through Elubo and other roads in the town will be subsequently developed during the implementation period," he added. In response to another question from Mr Lee Ocran, (NDC-Jomoro) on when construction of Half Assini roads and drainage would commence, the Minister said the Road Transport Ministry had programmed to "rehabilitate and upgrade the 8 kilometre Half Assini town roads in phases."

In response to another question, Dr Anane said the rehabilitation and tarring of the Oyibi-Appolonia-Katamanso road, in the Kpone-Katamanso constituency would be carried out in phases. He said grading and spot improvement of the Oyibi-Appolonia-Katamanso road and others were, however, awarded at a contract sum of 869.5 million cedis. He said pothole patching on the tarred section of the Katamanso-Ashaiman road and others was also awarded at a contract sum of 960 million cedis. Dr Anane also told the house that a total of 147 km of engineered roads in the Amenfi West constituency had been programmed for routine and recurrent maintenance this year.