Visiting Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and Ghanaian President John Agyekum Kufuor co-inaugurated Monday a road between Ofankor and Nsawan, a portion of the trunk road linking Ghana's capital Accra and the west African country's second biggest city Kumasi.

 

"The road symbolizes the cooperation between China and Ghana and constitutes a new link between the two countries that have forged traditional friendship," said Wen, who arrived in Ghana Sunday for a two-day official visit.

 

Kufuor praised the quality of the road and speed of the construction, saying this project would make great contribution to Ghana's economic development.

 

The road was 17.4 km long, with its start point at Ofankor, 20 km north of the capital city.

 

The Chinese government granted Ghana 180 million yuan (US$22.5 million) interest-free loan for the highway rehabilitation and expansion project, undertaken by China Railway Wuju Group Corporation.

 

The completed road is two-way with four lanes. Two lanes are newly constructed while the other two are reconstructed with new pavement of gravel base course and bituminous surface course.

 

"The completion of this road will make driving become safe and fast," said Norbert B. Quarmor, director of public affairs of Ghana Highway Authority, "There were a lot of potholes on this road. There were only two lanes and no grass corridor."

 

Zeng Jian, a senior official of the Chinese company, described the road as a "new friendship milestone" in the development of Sino-Ghanaian relationship since the two countries established diplomatic ties in 1960."

 

Before the construction of the new road, China helped Ghana build several other public facilities, including the National Theater, irrigation projects, a hospital, camps for soldiers and policemen.

 

China has constructed nearly 900 projects in Africa as a whole over the past 50 years, covering various fields including agriculture, energy, infrastructure and water conservancy.

 

(Xinhua News Agency June 20, 2006)