Chief Representative of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Ghana, Yasumichi Araki, has said the organisation’s support in the form of a grant, for construction of the Tema motorway interchange, will help boost the local and regional economies of West Africa.
“I believe this high-quality road infrastructure will improve the transportation sector in Ghana, and bring a better future for all Ghanaian and people in this region with the enhancement of logistics for the regional economy,” he said at the interchange’s official opening in Tema.
He added that JICA has supported Ghana with utilising Japanese high-technological capability to provide high quality infrastructure under the Tokyo International Conference on African Development, TICAD, process.
The project, he explained, is a part of implementing the West Africa Growth Ring Corridors (WAGRIC) master-plan, which emphasises sub-regional economic integration with boosting logistics networks for regional corridors including the Abidjan-Lagos corridor and other main international corridors.
The project is expected to reduce traffic congestion and travel-time at the roundabout from 20 minutes to 5 minutes. Also, it will improve logistics from/to Tema Port for boosting trade between Ghana and neighbouring countries. This enhancement of logistics for the regional economy will enable the lives of people, not only in Ghana but also in this region, to be more prosperous.
The project was unveilled on Friday, June 5, 2020 and attended by Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo-Addo, President of the Republic of Ghana; Kwasi Amoako-Atta, Minister for Roads & Highways; Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, Minister for Transport; Joe Ghartey, Minister for Railway Development; Tsutomu Himeno, Ambassador of Japan to Ghana; Yasumichi Araki; Chief Representative of JICA, Ghana Office, and other guests.
On March 31, 2017, JICA signed a grant agreement with the government of Ghana for this project. The grant amount was JPY6.259 billion, equivalent to about US$57million. After the detailed survey, construction work commenced in February 2018 to construct 4km of road comprising 1km for each of the interchange’s 4 legs, 5 service roads for right-turning traffic, a 190m long box-culvert underpass, 4 disability-friendly pedestrian bridges, traffic signals, street lighting and other essential components.
It took about 28 months to be completed on schedule under professional and diligent works by the supervising Japanese consultant CTI Engineering International Co., Ltd., the main Japanese contractor Shimizu-Dai Nippon JV. On the site, this project employed over 600 Ghanaians and enhanced the capacity of these local staffs through technology transfer and training of public officials, advocating for quality infrastructure.
Since 1962, JICA has supported Ghana in many areas including health, road, electricity, agriculture, industry, education, governance and other significant sectors under the scheme of Yen loans, grant aid, and technical corporation.
Total accumulated cost is approximately US$1.363billion, US$1.145billion, and US$574million respectively (JFY2017). Especially in the road sector, two projects are currently underway; a loan project for construction of a new bridge across the Volta River, amounting to JPY11.239billion, and a grant aid project for rehabilitating the National Trunk Road N8 (Phase 2), amounting to JPY6.486billion.
