Pokuase-Nsawam Road Project Delayed by Court Cases

Residents and commuters who use the Pokuase-Nsawam stretch of the Accra-Kumasi road will have to endure using the uncompleted road for a little longer as work will not be completed on schedule. The project has been hit with over 100 litigations at the court over properties within the right of way, compensations, and relocation of utility lines.

The 33.4-kilometer project, which commenced on September 2, 2022, and was expected to be completed in July this year, will have to delay because the contractor does not have full possession of the land for the construction to progress.

Speaking to the Ghanaian Times in an exclusive interview at the project site at Pokuase, the Resident Engineer in charge of the rehabilitation works on the US$346.5 million Ofankor-Nsawam dual carriage road project, Thomas David Arthur, and the Senior Project Manager, Mr. Abdulai Mahama stated that the Ghana Highway Authority (GHA), who are the client, would be contacted for an extension of the time.

Mr. Arthur explained that the ongoing project was 58.3 percent complete; adding that a section of the railway bridges had been completed, together with storm drains and footbridges. He said the retaining walls and culverts, among others, have also been completed.

Mr. Arthur stressed the need for the contractor to have possession of the land to complete the remaining works on time, adding that the relocation of utilities such as electricity and water were 75 percent complete. He said they were in contact with the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and the Ghana Water Limited to relocate their pylons, transmission lines, and pipes to pave the way for the project.

Touching on the bad nature of that stretch, Mr. Arthur stated that the contractor had been carrying out regular maintenance works, thus putting fine soil material and gravels on them to aid commuters in their movement, but the material had been washed away by the rains.

Mr. Arthur observed that there were large potholes at different portions of the road, which had been sealed to ensure comfort on the road and improve traveling time. To reduce dust on the road, Mr. Arthur stated that water from tankers was sprinkled on the roads regularly.

Mr. Mahama added that the court cases were delaying the demolishing of buildings, which had become an obstacle for the contractors, stating that the legal team was working on the cases.

In an interview with some commuters and drivers, they appealed to the contractors to expedite work on the project. A driver, Kojo Asante, stated that they spent long hours in traffic on the road due to its bad nature. “As drivers, we often visit the mechanic shops for repairs as a result of the nature of the road,” he added. Some commuters appealed to the contractors to constantly water the road to reduce dust on it.

The project is being executed by Maripoma Enterprise Limited (MEL), a Ghanaian wholly-owned construction firm, under a design and build contract with Associated Consultants Limited Supervising. It is being jointly funded by the Government of Ghana and MEL. Upon completion, it would ease traffic on the Accra-Nsawam route and promote socio-economic activities along the stretch and beyond.