The Minister of Roads and Highways, Governs Kwame Agbodza, has expressed concern over the slow pace of work on the 17-kilometre Tema-Aflao Road.

According to the Minister, little progress has been made on the project since his last inspection of the site four months ago.

He has consequently directed the contractors, First Sky Construction and BHM, to accelerate work on the road to ease the difficulties faced by commuters.

Mr Agbodza made the comments on Wednesday, August 19, when he inspected some of the government’s Big Push road projects in the Greater Accra Region.

During the inspection, the Minister expressed frustration at the limited activity he observed on the Tema-Aflao stretch.

He questioned why significant progress had not been made on a road project covering only 17 kilometres.

“This road is just about 17 kilometres. Right from the beginning, I get the impression that contractors do not intend to do the work because I don't see any activity,” he said.

The Minister noted that the work observed at the site appeared to be limited mainly to the construction of a small culvert and preparations for a diversion.

He said while diversions could facilitate construction, they should ultimately lead to actual work on the road.

“We can't leave four months and come back, and I can't see much work going on here,” Mr Agbodza said.

Responding to the Minister's concerns, a representative of First Sky Construction explained that the original work programme had divided the project into three sections.

He said the contractor initially planned to work from Kpong Barrier to Savannah before moving to the other sections.

However, after arriving on site, the contractor said he realised that the road needed to be worked on continuously to raise it to formation level and address the traffic situation.

He said this resulted in a change to the initial work programme.

The contractor also explained that different components of the project carried different weightings, meaning that activities that had not yet started affected the overall progress percentage.

When the Minister asked what work had been undertaken during the four months, the contractor said the company had been constructing box culverts and other cross-drainage structures.

“We are doing concrete work. So, we are building box culverts for now — the cross drainage,” he said.

The Minister's inspection forms part of efforts to monitor the progress of major road projects under the government's Big Push programme and ensure that contractors deliver within agreed timelines.