Minister of Roads and Highways, Governs Kwame Agbodza, has urged consultants and contractors working on the Tema-Akosombo and Pokuase-Nsawam road projects to speed up work to ensure its timely completion.
The Minister also directed the contractors to continue watering the road to reduce dust, as he has received numerous complaints from residents of the area about the situation.
Embarking on an inspection tour of the Pokuase-Nsawam road project in Accra, the Minister expressed dissatisfaction with the pace of work so far.
“I acknowledge that as the President mentioned, more than 90% of contractors working on various
projects are not on-site. Many of them have been delayed by over a year due to unpaid work, which has slowed down progress. If the consultants claim that work slowed down in November, I don’t understand the issue. What I want to see is progress on the work. I also insist that you continue to water the road so that residents along that stretch can be relieved of the dust,” he said.
The project director, Mr. Asare Awuku Kwadjo, explained that the challenges they faced included litigation, compensation issues, and financing, which he believed were causing the slow pace of work.
However, he assured the Minister that they were working to ensure the project would be completed on time.
Once completed, the entire Pokuase-Nsawam road project will feature four interchanges, with eight lanes from the Ofankor Barrier to the Pokuase Interchange and ten lanes from the Pokuase Interchange to the Nsawam Junction.
While the dualization from Ofankor Barrier to Pokuase will have two lanes of main carriageways and two service lanes. The section from Pokuase Interchange to Nsawam Junction will have three lanes of main carriageways and two service lanes.
Minister Agbodza, along with Deputy Roads and Highways Minister designate Alhassan Suhuyini, directors, and engineers from the Ministry of Roads, also toured the Tema-Aflao and Tema-Akosombo Road projects.
However, he expressed disappointment with the progress on the Tema-Akosombo road and urged the contractors to speed up work to reduce travel time, mitigate flooding, and enhance road safety before the rains begin.
