Construction works on the Kojokrom to Manso section of the new standard gauge Western Railway line is 65 per cent complete.
Mr Ehud Deri, the Project Director, revealed this on Wednesday, during the tour of the project by Mr John Peter Amewu, the Minister of Railways Development.
The tour forms part of the Minister’s two-day working visit to the Western Region.
The 22-Kilometre Kojokrom to Manso section of the Western Railway Line was awarded to Messers Amandi in 2017.
Mr Deri noted that the 149-million-dollar project would be completed by end of March 2022.
He mentioned excessive rainfall and difficulty in land acquisition as some of the challenges they were facing in the execution of the project.
Speaking to the media after the inspection tour, Mr Amewu said as a layman, he thinks the quality of work done by Amandi was classic and that the progress of work was commendable.
“Of course I was extremely excited to have seen one of the best standard gauge we are trying to build in this country,” the Minister said.
He noted that the content of work done on the project met the specifications enshrined in the contract agreement.
He said the project would be continued from Manso to Huni Valley, stating that three contractors were at the Kumasi end working on the same Western Railway Line.
He reiterated that the Western Railway Line was expected to be completed as soon as possible to enable bauxite from Awaso and Nyinahin to be transported.
With regards to local content, the Minister noted that going forward, all railway contracts would have nothing less than 30 per cent of Ghanaian content, adding that no contractor was going to import railway sleepers into the country.
Mr Yaw Owusu, Chief Executive Officer, Ghana Railway Development Authority, said the project when completed would provide both passenger and freight services.
Source: gna
