Asamankese, Sept. 17, GNA- The West Akyem District would take delivery of a grader by the end of September, to enable the assembly to improve the road network in the area on regular basis. An arrangement for the purchase of the grader is almost complete, with the deposit of an initial amount of 300 million cedis, representing 20 percent of the total cost.

The District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr Kwabena Sintim-Aboagye announced this at the third ordinary meeting of the assembly at Asamankese.

He said the Amalgamated Bank in Accra is financing the purchase of the grader.

Mr Sintim-Aboagye said, under the routine maintenance of trunk roads programme for 2007 to 2008 in the district, contracts for the rehabilitation of a number of roads had been completed for work to begin.

He said the roads include the 17-kilometre Asamankese - Akroso road, 38 kilometres Asamankese - Kade road, 35 kilometres of the Asamankese - Suhum road and five kilometres of the Asamankese town roads.

The DCE said the government was seriously pursuing an aggressive programme to open up much of the rural communities in the district by re-shaping and tarring of dilapidated roads to make them motorable. He said approval had also been given for the commencement of the resurfacing of the 21-kilometre Osenase-Apinamang roads at the cost of 1.680 million US dollars.

The DCE said the ongoing rehabilitation works on the Akanteng-Kobriso road had to be held up temporarily due to the heavy rain, which was giving a lot of problems to the contractors. He said as soon as the rains stop, work would resume and assured the chiefs and people of the communities that their concerns were being addressed.

Mr Sintim-Aboagye said the rehabilitation and expansion of the two narrow bridges on the Topease-Osenase road was ongoing and the bridge on river Ayensu at Asuokaw on the Asamankese - Accra main road had also been awarded on contract awaiting the commencement of works shortly. He said the Asibirem - Okotokrom and Abuchenso bridges were also being re-awarded to new contractors for speedy execution of and expressed the hope that the projects would soon take off to provide relief and joy to all, especially the people of the beneficiary communities.