The Municipal Directorate of the District Road Improvement Programme (DRIP) in Sefwi Wiawso has completed reshaping works on the Punikrom to Abrabra junction road, a key community route that had deteriorated to near-impassable conditions, particularly during the rainy season.
The intervention forms part of broader road maintenance efforts by the Sefwi Wiawso Municipal Assembly to improve connectivity, ease the movement of goods and people and stimulate local economic activity in the Western North Region municipality.
Municipal DRIP Coordinator Thomas Mintah, popularly known as Obosom, said the exercise was part of a strategic plan to make feeder roads within the municipality safer and more accessible. He noted that the deplorable condition of community roads had for years affected transportation, market access and emergency response across the area.
“The poor state of some feeder roads has been a major concern for residents, negatively affecting transportation, access to markets, and emergency services,” he said, adding that the DRIP Department remained committed to extending similar works to other parts of the municipality.
Mintah disclosed that the project was made possible through a joint fuel contribution from the Member of Parliament (MP) and the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for the area, describing the collaboration as a model for addressing infrastructure challenges at the local level where national resources alone are often insufficient.
Residents of Punikrom and Aduhenekrom welcomed the development, with many saying the road had been in a deplorable condition for years, making daily travel stressful, costly and time-consuming. Assembly members in the area expressed appreciation to the Municipal Assembly, the MP and the MCE for responding to their concerns. Drivers who regularly use the route said the improved surface would reduce vehicle maintenance costs, shorten travel times and support business activity along the corridor. They called on authorities to ensure regular maintenance to sustain the gains made.
DRIP was launched in July 2024 to empower Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) across Ghana with machinery and equipment to improve road networks within their jurisdictions, stimulate local economies and reduce post-harvest losses by improving farmers’ access to markets. The programme deployed 2,240 road construction units nationally, including motor graders, bulldozers and tipper trucks, with implementation overseen by local committees involving Roads Ministry technical officers and Ghana Armed Forces engineers.
