The directive followed com­plaints by road engineers that encroachment had undermined edges and culverts along that section, thereby exposing the road to flooding and huge depressions, especially during heavy rains in Sekondi-Takoradi metropolis.

The situation, according experts, had also led to heavy vehicu­lar traffic all day long, causing inconveniences and also affecting the integrity of the Takoradi-Cape Coast highway.

Mr Asenso-Boakye gave the directive when he inspected sectional repairs at Nkroful junc­tion-Kojokrom market sites on the Asemasa- Takoradi road yesterday, as part of a duty tour to the West­ern Region.

He was accompanied by the Western Regional Minister, Mr Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, and other officials.

Mr Asenso-Boakye told jour­nalists that the So Filling Station section of the Takoradi- Accra highway had become bad because of encroachments on channels.

He expressed the government’s desire and commitment to deal with the root cause of the prob­lem (encroachment).

Mr Asenso-Boakye noted that, “Encroachment has undermined the capacity of the existing drains to absorb the water, and there­fore, they all flow onto the streets. Engineers will tell you that as far as good construction and main­tenance is concerned, our biggest enemy is water.

“The engineers are here and we are going to design the appropri­ate intervention that is needed to facelift this stretch very soon. We are compelled to come to sites and deal with the matter. When the designs are ready, then, we will find the appropriate contractor to come over and do the temporary works,” he said.

He also said the Regional Minis­ter and the Metropolitan Assembly had been charged to deal with businesses and structures which had encroached on the Kojokrom road, stressing, “they have the highest authority and it’s their responsibility.”

Briefing the minister, Mainte­nance Manager, Ghana Highways Authority, Emmanuel Kwesi Rock­son, mentioned that the project executed by Asabea Engineering Ltd was about 42. 5 per cent completed.

So far, he reported that site clearing was 100 per cent com­pleted, earthworks, 60 per cent; concrete works, 80 per cent; laying of base, 50 per cent and laying of asphaltic concrete binder also 45 per cent.

Mr Rockson stated that the road would help companies to conve­niently transport their workers and equipment to and from office, as well as facilitate the transportation of large equipment and other logistics to the Takoradi Harbour.

Additionally, the engineer told Mr Asenso-Boakye that the proj­ect would address the transporta­tion challenges for residents within the immediate surroundings of the road, and also reduce transport and business cost.

Earlier, Mr Asenso-Boakye in­spected the Shama Junction -Sha­ma town roads, which he noted, had been a source of concern for residents and surrounding towns, and assured that, “We have taken a decision to upgrade the scope of works and give it to a contractor to work on the routes at Shama.”