CONSTRUCTION work on the 51-kilometre Nkoranza-Ejura trunk road, which has been on the drawing board for years, has taken off.

The Government of Ghana and the German Government, through KFW, a German aid agency, are jointly financing the ?21.6 billion project, which is being undertaken by Messrs P &W Ghanem, a Wa-based construction firm.

The Nkoranza District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr Kwame Ampofo-Twumasi, and his Budget Officer, Mr A. K. Sagoe-Abaka, led the Graphic to inspect progress of work on the road.

Mr Ampofo-Twumasi said when the road construction is completed, it will be the shortest route from the northern part of the country to Accra, adding that ?it will reduce the heavy traffic from the north to Kumasi?.

He said the road will also facilitate the movement of people and the evacuation of foodstuffs from the western part of the Brong-Ahafo Region to the eastern side.

According to Mr Ampofo-Twumasi, the road construction project will create jobs for people and thereby reduce poverty in the area.

He advised the contractor to do quality work to justify the huge investment in the project.

The DCE appealed to the government to link Nkoranza-Jema Junction to the road to enable the people to realise the advantages of the road.

Messrs Joseph Ghobril and John Kojo Andzie, site engineers of P & W Ghanem, said the project, which was started late last year, will be completed in 20 months.

Mr Daniel Takyi, consultant-inspector of works of Messrs NOCKS Consult (Germany), in association with CONTERRA Limited (Ghana), the consultants on the project, appealed to the people living along the road and the drivers plying the route to co-operate with the contractors to enable the project to be completed on schedule.