The 28 million cedi rehabilitation works is expected to be completed within 12 months.

Captain Ebenezer Afedzi, Director of the Takoradi Port who announced this at a durbar in Takoradi, said IBISTEK limited, a Ghanaian construction company, would fund the project as its corporate social responsibility to the people of New Takoradi.

He explained that IBISTEK limited entered into a concession agreement with the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority to build a new container multipurpose terminal at the Takoradi Port.He said the road played an important role in the activities of the Takoradi Port, as more than 10 million tonnes of cargo is carried on it yearly, noting that the figure could increase to about 20 million tonnes after the rehabilitation.

Capt. Afedzi commended the Chiefs and people of New Takoradi for their patience, despite a few demonstrations that were carried out.He gave the assurance that his outfit would do everything possible to make the lives of people of New Takoradi comfortable, since they were the immediate neighbours.

Mr Kobby Okyere Darko, Member of Parliament for New Takoradi, expressed his happiness at the rehabilitation of the road and thanked the Takoradi Port and IBISTEK for the gesture.  He said government had good plans for the people and announced that a-30-bed capacity ward would be built for the New Takoradi clinic, which he said would be upgraded to a polyclinic status.

Mr Darko appealed to the contractors to employ the services of the youth in the area for the rehabilitations works to help create jobs. The Deputy Western Regional Minister, Madam Gifty Kusi, urged the people of New Takoradi to have faith in the NPP government, which she described as a development oriented government adding that government would ensure it executed all its campaign promises for the region.

Mr Anthony K.K Sam, Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE) of Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly, commended the management of the port and its partners for the project; and appealed to the citizenry to cooperate with the contractor to enable him to complete the road on schedule.

Mr Sam hinted that all the major roads including; the construction of the Nkrumah roundabout flyover in Takoradi would be worked on and a modern car park, the Apremdo market, as well as the rehabilitation of the market circle would all be executed in due course.

The Chief of New Takoradi, Nana Abaka, was full of praises for the Takoradi Port for fulfilling its promise to the people and noted that because heavy truck used the road it did not last.  He appealed to authorities to rehabilitate the Takoradi Railway lines to help convey heavy duty trucks of goods such as timber logs, bauxite, manganese and cement to reduce the pressure on the roads.

It would be recalled that in more than three occasions, the people of New Takoradi mounted road blocks to prevent heavy duty trucks from using the Paa Grant roundabout to New Takoradi road due to the dust such vehicles produced causing respiratory infections among the people.