More than 100 lawsuits, ranging from human rights cases to ownership of portions of the road earmarked for the reconstruction of the 18.1 km Ofan­kor-Nsawam dual carriage­way project, are hindering the completion of work on schedule. 

With some of the cases dating back to 2022, the Chief Resident Engineer, Kwabena Bempong, told the Daily Graphic that his team would not be able to meet the government’s August deadline.

“These cases have dragged on for quite some time, and these are impeding the progress of the work because there are some areas where we have to relocate the utility lines like electricity, telephone infrastructure and water; and until they are moved, we are unable to complete the construction of our main roads and the service roads,” he said.

He added that work on the Nsawam Interchange had not begun due to the litigation and movement of the utilities.

That notwithstanding, the Chief Resident Engineer told the Minister designate for Roads and Highways, Francis Asenso-Boakye, when he paid a working visit to the site last week, that substantial progress had been made. 

Briefing

Briefing the minister designate, Mr Bempong explained that the team had been able to complete a railway bridge, including an underpass at the Pokuase Interchange project, adding that the retaining wall was almost completed.

He said about 50 per cent of work had been done on 10 of the footbridges.

The Chief Resident Engineer added that work on the cross drain structures, also known as culverts, was 90 per cent complete.

Work ongoing on the Ofankor-Nsawam road project

He said majority of the earth work and sub-base had also been laid from Pokuase.

At Amasaman, he said the team had done about 30 per cent of the three-tier interchange.

For Pobiman and Medie, about 77 per cent and 50 per cent work had been done on the interchanges, respectively.

He assured the minister that a substantial part of the road would be completed to ease the current congestion on the road. 

Minister

However, Mr Asenso-Boakye charged the contractors to complete the work by October to ease traffic flow.

He said the project was dear to the government as it would not only ease the traffic but improve transportation between very important economic centres from Tema and Accra to Kumasi, and neighbouring countries.

The minister designate expressed satisfaction with work on the project so far.

They went further to the Accra-Kumasi road to assess and experience the level of deterioration on that stretch.

He bemoaned the maintenance culture of the public which had led to a further deterioration of the road.

“Because of the bad condition of the road it has caused a lot of accidents; this is a matter of urgency and I believe we can do something about it,” he said. 

Tolls

In line with that, he underscored the need for prompt maintenance of the Eastern Corridor roads and called for the reintroduction of road tolls to mobilise adequate revenue to bridge the country’s road infrastructural deficit.

He said most developed countries financed their roads using money from road tolls.

“Before we take action, maintenance also needs money.

Many countries use the tolls they collect and the money from road tolls to finance maintenance. 

But in our case, we have suspended them.I think it’s a good time for us to have a discussion. 

“We need to bring back these road tolls so that we can get money to maintain our roads,” he said.

He added that presently, his office was in talks with other stakeholders to make sure that the tolls were reintroduced.