The Ministry for Roads and Highways has dismissed claims by the Ashanti Caucus of the Minority in Parliament that the government has downgraded the Suame Interchange from a four-tier to a two-tier facility.
According to the Ministry, the design has been reviewed for a three-tier interchange following the commencement of the Kumasi Outer Ring Road under the Big Push programme.
The new development, the Ministry said, will reduce the traffic load on Suame and therefore require less capacity than earlier projected.
Addressing journalists on Monday, February 9, the Minister for Roads and Highways, Governs Kwame Agbodza, explained that proceeding with the initial four-tier plan would have necessitated the demolition of several buildings and businesses, with the state incurring an additional cost of about one hundred million Ghana cedis.
“The modification would allow us to save those buildings and allow the businesses to thrive whilst offering a new first-class concrete road from Akom on the N1 to Boankra on the N6. In fact, the only portion of the original design being eliminated is the 4th tier bridge as the expropriation impact does not make it worthwhile, especially when the outer ring road is being constructed,” he said
