Construction work on the second phase of the Tamale International Airport runway is approximately 57 percent complete, for both procurement and physical work. The 5,170 metre-square project will serve to supplement the services provided by the Kotoka International Airport and is expected to be completed on schedule by January 2022.
An examination of the various segments of the project reveals varying stages of completion with design work (80%), main terminal (57%), multipurpose building (61%), bulk utility (41%) as well as access roads and the car park at 38% each.
These details were disclosed by the project manager for Ecobuild Consult, Rev. Allan Okomeng, when the Minister of Transport, Kweku Ofori Asiamah paid a working visit to the project site.
The Minister, in the assessment visit, was accompanied by the Northern Regional Minister, Alhaji Shani Alhassan Zakaria; Director General at the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), Charles Krakue; GCAA’s Deputy Director General (Technical), Daniel Acquah; Director General Services Paul Kuntoh; Tamale Airport Manager, Michael Omane, among others.
Briefing journalists after the inspection of the project, Mr. Asiamah expressed satisfaction with the quality and pace of work done so far, and said when completed the airport would enhance economic activities in the region to boost trade.
“I am here to acquaint myself with the level of progress that has been made so far as the project is concerned and to verify whether they are within the stipulated time frame, so as to avoid a project over-run cost,” he said.
He added that the government is investing adequate resources to expand the airport – which is modeled after the Kumasi airport – to the ensure Ghana an aviation hub in the West Africa sub region.
“The government of Ghana believes that infrastructure is needed to make the region a hub for agriculture export and this project would also encourage the private participants to put up more warehouses in the environs and this will lead to a growth of business and the wider economy,” he explained.
Phase three of the project
He noted that the phase three of the project is set to come on line with a fully-fledged fire station and the extension of the terminal building. According to him, feasibility studies are being conducted to assess the additional cost for the phase three project.
Road network
The sector Minister said that a 7.5 km road network and parking spaces are being constructed from the Savelugu Municipality to the airport to serve as private-public access to the terminal to ease the stress passengers would go through.
On his part, the Northern Regional Minister, Alhaji Shani Alhassan Zakaria said the completion of the project would enhance access to market for the local agriculture industry. “As the new minister for the region, I am very impressed by the progress of the work and we will do our best to support the contractors to accomplish the project on time to serve its purpose,” he added.
The US$80million project is funded by a loan agreement between the government of Ghana and KFW IPEX-Bank GMBH. It commenced with designing the project (Maintenance, Repairs, Overhauling and safety (MRO) to provide aircraft maintenance activities in Ghana and West Africa.
The rest include an aviation training school; construction of a 54mx54m multipurpose terminal of approximately 5,000m2; management systems, access roads and ancillary facilities exclusive for civil aviation, cargo and hajj village, car pass, bulk storage facility. It is also expected to create jobs for over 4,000 persons, promote growth of the region’s economy; enhance tourism; and also boost socioeconomic development by improving connections to the Northern part of the country.
