In less than a year, Acrow Bridge supplied 100 bridges to Ghana’s Ministry of Transport, revitalizing Ghana’s critical feeder road system and connecting people and communities throughout the country.
Feeder Road Networks – The Springboard to Development and Prosperity
Feeder road networks are the key to unlocking development and prosperity in Africa, connecting villages, towns and smaller cities to the main arteries of transport, providing critical access to healthcare, schools and commerce. In many parts of Africa, feeder road networks are sparsely developed and poorly maintained. Seasonal climatic conditions present additional strains on already challenged infrastructure systems.
In Ghana, where the rainy season lasts up to 6 months a year, swollen rivers and streams routinely cut off access to the main roads for villages across the country. Recognizing these challenges, Ghana’s Ministry of Transport, through its Department of Feeder Roads, partnered with Acrow to develop a program supporting the country’s feeder road network through the deployment of 100 Acrow Bridges across all of Ghana’s 10 regions. This strategic partnership led to the successful implementation of Acrow’s Comprehensive Bridge Development Program in Ghana.
Acrow’s Comprehensive Bridge Development Program
The implementation of Acrow’s Comprehensive Bridge Development Program is a collaborative process. From concept to design, to final delivery and installation, Acrow works closely with local stakeholders to address all technical, logistical, and financial challenges.
In Ghana, Acrow collaborated with the Department of Feeder Roads to determine the technical needs across a variety of conditions from rural to urban, including anticipated truck loads, traffic volume and driving surface, among others. As part of this technical consultation, an inventory of crossings was finalized and priority project objectives related to logistics, inventory warehousing, and training were further defined as well. Once complete, a proposal was presented detailing all technical, logistical, commercial and financial information, thoroughly explaining how to take Acrow’s Comprehensive Bridge Development Program from concept to fruition.
Acrow understands that funding for infrastructure development projects is often a key issue. In addressing this challenge, Acrow arranges financing for its clients through its partners in the international capital markets. As a recognized project leader, Acrow is able to leverage its relationships with major international financial institutions, as well as export trade agencies such as Export- Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) and the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), among others, to facilitate the process of structuring competitive financing that not only covers the Acrow bridging, but also assists with the local civil works and installation activities associated with the successful implementation of the project.
Well-designed projects also require well-performed execution, as a bridge is only as good as the quality and timeliness of its installation. To help ensure successful project implementation, Acrow applies particular focus on local skills capacity building. In Ghana, Acrow trained over 100 local engineers, technicians and contractors on every aspect of site preparation, assembly, launch, installation and maintenance of the Acrow bridges.
The training in Ghana was specifically tailored to the variety of conditions and bridge requirements encountered in the field. This included training for both short and long spans, single and multi-span structures, as well as detailed instruction on various installation methods, which is particularly important in areas where conditions make access to heavy machinery or construction equipment difficult or impossible. The training also included instruction on how to manage the inventory of the Acrow bridge components, from warehousing to logistics.
This local skills transfer was critical to the long-term success of Acrow’s project in Ghana, cultivating a collaborative environment that helped foster a generation of local engineers, technicians and contractors expertly prepared to manage these critical infrastructure assets well into the future.
Acrow Bridge is proud to serve as a partner in the development of Africa’s Infrastructure. In developing its Comprehensive Bridge Development Programs across Africa, Acrow maintains a guiding commitment to the people its bridges serve. By providing safe and reliable passage, Acrow Bridges connect people to the opportunities that enrich their lives and expand their personal prosperity.
