Akufo-Addo Commissions Afienya Road Over Bridge On Tema-Mpakadan Railways Line

Describing the project as “a brainchild of the first NPP Government of 2001 – 2009, when the highly respected Christopher Ameyaw Akumfi was Minister for Harbours and Railways”, President Akufo-Addo explained that it was conceived to create a multimodal transportation network, involving road, rail, and lake transportation, which will facilitate the haulage of cargo and the movement of people from the southern part of the country to the northern sector, through a mix of intermodal transport systems.

The project, the President told the gathering, will address the imbalance between transport modes for long-distance transit and domestic freight movements from Accra/Tema northwards, and vice versa using the Volta Lake Transport System.

“In particular, existing port operations at the Tema Port will be improved, resulting in reduced vessel waiting time, and container dwelling time, which will improve the competitiveness of the Port, as well as lead to a reduction in freight transport costs, and enhance safety,” he added.

Transporting freight and transit cargo, via the Lake Transport System, President Akufo-Addo, reiterated reducing the e cost of the shipment and, by extension, reducing the cost of doing business in Ghana.

“Not only will it increase transit cargo volumes through the Lake, but will also expand domestic shipments to and from the Lake, and will serve as a boost for agricultural enterprises within the environs of the Lake,” he added.

The Tema-Mpakadan-Buipe multi-modal transport project, when completed and operationalized, will link the Tema Port to the lake transport network, especially the north-south movement over a distance of some four hundred kilometers, and open up the Lake to the transportation of not only fuel and cement but also containerized cargo and agricultural produce from the northern enclave and Afram Plains to the Port of Tema and other destinations.

Other economic benefits of the project include the reduction of pressure on the road network (including the Eastern Corridor Roads, which are under construction), thereby reducing their early deterioration, and increasing their service life span; minimization of the cost of transportation of bulk commodities, containers and agricultural produce to the ports and other destinations; provision of affordable, reliable and alternative means of transport for passengers who are not served by the road transport system along the corridor; and construction, operation and maintenance works of the railway infrastructure which will provide direct and indirect employment to a significant number of Ghanaians.