President John Dramani Mahama has expressed confidence that the ongoing Wa-Han road project under the government’s Big Push programme will be completed by the end of 2027.
The President made the remarks during an inspection of the Wa-Han road project on the first day of his two-day Resetting Ghana Tour of the Upper West Region.
President Mahama said the Wa-Han road was among the priority projects selected under the Big Push programme because of its strategic importance in connecting regional capitals.
“This road is one of the most important roads under the Big Push programme because, when selecting the projects, we prioritised roads that link regional capitals,” he said.
According to him, the road provides a critical link between the Upper West and Upper East regions and has remained in poor condition for several decades.
“It is the road that connects the Upper East Regional Capital with the Upper West Region, and so it is a very important road. Indeed, it has been in a very poor condition since our fathers’ time,” President Mahama stated.
The President, recalling his childhood experiences travelling on the road, said many people had lost hope that the project would ever be completed.
“As a young child I used to travel along this road to Tumu to visit my father’s friend. People believed that this road would never, ever be done,” he recounted.
He expressed optimism that the ongoing works would transform travel between the two regional capitals.
“I believe that today we can see that, before the end of 2027, we will have a very comfortable ride between the two regional capitals,” President Mahama said.
Contractor praised
President Mahama also commended the contractor executing the project, describing the company as one of Ghana’s oldest and most experienced construction firms.
He noted that the contractor, popularly known as “Wadie,” had undertaken several major road projects in the country, including the Wa-Bole-Bamboi Road.
“The contractor is a well-known company and one of the oldest contracting firms in this country. We do not call him by the company’s name; we call him Wadie, and we know the quality of work he has delivered over the years,” he said.
“I remember he worked on the Wa-Bole-Bamboi Road and several other road projects in the Upper West Region.”
The President said government was satisfied with the contractor’s performance and indicated that additional road projects in the region had already been identified for future allocation.
“We are happy that he is undertaking this project, and as he finishes, there are many other roads we have scoped in the Upper West that we will allocate to the company,” he added.
Big Push to be implemented in phases
President Mahama acknowledged concerns from residents over the poor condition of roads in other parts of the region but explained that government’s limited financial resources made it impossible to undertake all road projects simultaneously.
“I want to assure our people that, although everyone wishes all their roads could be constructed at once, we simply cannot do that. There is a limit to the budget we have,” he said.
He explained that government had therefore structured the Big Push programme into phases, with work already underway to identify projects for subsequent phases.
“That is why there is Big Push Phase One. We are already scoping Big Push Phase Two, and there will also be Big Push Phase Three,” President Mahama stated.
He said government would initially prioritise trunk roads before extending the programme to feeder roads linking communities to the main highway network.
“As we move forward, we will progress from the trunk roads to the feeder roads that connect with the trunk road network,” he explained.
According to the President, completing the trunk roads first would provide communities across the region with safer and more reliable access to the main highway network.
“It is important to complete the trunk roads first so that people from every constituency can join the main highway and enjoy a safe and comfortable journey,” he said.
He added that feeder roads would subsequently be developed to improve connectivity to towns and communities.
“After the trunk roads are completed, we will extend the feeder roads into our communities and towns,” President Mahama assured.
Asphalt surfacing to improve durability
President Mahama said work on the Wa-Han road was progressing satisfactorily and expressed confidence that the project would be completed to a high standard.
“The work is progressing well, and we will return next year to commission this road. I am confident that the quality of the road will be excellent,” he said.
He further disclosed that following the double surface dressing, the entire stretch from Wa to Bolgatanga would receive asphalt surfacing.
“As the Minister said, after the double surface dressing, we will seal the entire road with asphalt from Wa to Bolgatanga,” President Mahama stated.
He said the approach was intended to improve the durability of the road and reduce the need for frequent maintenance.
“That will ensure the road lasts for at least the next 20 years and requires only minimal maintenance,” he added.
Story: Patrick Asford Boadu
