President John Dramani Mahama has defended the government’s decision to implement its Big Push road projects in phases, citing limited financial resources and the need to prioritise critical road networks.
President Mahama said government would first focus on major trunk roads, particularly those connecting regional capitals, before extending the programme to feeder roads linking communities and towns to the main highways.
He made the remarks during the first day of his two-day Resetting Ghana Tour of the Upper West Region, where he inspected work on the Wa–Han road project being executed under the Big Push programme.
The President acknowledged the scale of Ghana’s road infrastructure needs but said the government’s available resources could not support the simultaneous execution of all identified projects.
“Everybody thinks that we can do all their roads at once. We cannot do that. There’s a limit to the budget that we have,” he said.
He explained that the phased strategy would allow government to progressively address the road infrastructure deficit while ensuring that available funds were directed towards projects considered most critical.
“And so there’s Big Push Phase 1, we’re scoping Big Push Phase 2, and there’ll be a Big Push Phase 3,” President Mahama stated.
According to him, completing major trunk roads would create better access for residents in surrounding communities, after which attention could shift to feeder roads.
“As we go, we’ll move from the trunk roads to the other feeder roads that link up with the trunk roads,” he said.
“But it’s good to do the trunk roads so that at least everybody can come from this constituency, join the main road, and have a good ride. After the trunk road is done, then we can now do the feeder roads into the communities and the towns.”
President Mahama said several other roads had been identified for development in the Upper West Region and would be tackled progressively as funding became available.
Wa-Bolga road to receive asphalt finish
The President also expressed confidence in the quality and progress of work on the Wa–Han project, indicating that he expected to return to the region next year to commission the completed road.
“We’ll be here next year to come and commission the road, and I’m sure that the quality of the road will be good,” he said.
He further disclosed plans to eventually apply an asphalt finish to the road from Wa to Bolgatanga after the completion of the double-surface dressing.
“After we do the double-surface dressing, we will then seal the whole road with asphalt from Wa to Bolga, so that at least we know that for the next 30 years, the road will last and will require just very little maintenance,” President Mahama said.
The government says the phased implementation of the Big Push programme is intended to ensure that major road projects are delivered in a sustainable manner while resources are progressively mobilised for other infrastructure needs.
