‘Gang of Six’ projects ‘crawling’ to completion
Contractors working on two major road projects which are part of the ‘Gang of Six’ roads have abandoned the project site for lack of payment.
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Work on the Tetteh Quarshie-Atomic road, the 5.6-km Atomic Junction-Pantang road and the Kwafokrom-Apedwa highway (Suhum-Nsawam) has come to a standstill.
The projects are being executed by Messrs Sonitra Construction and Messrs China Water and Electric, respectively.
Meanwhile, the contractor executing the Achimota-Ofankor highway, Messrs China Railway Wuju (Group) Corporation, has threatened to pack off from the site if the government fails to pay GH¢12 million it owes the contractor for the completion of outstanding works on the site, the Resident Engineer on the project, Mr Shelter Lotsu, stated in an interview.
Briefing the Daily Graphic on the status of the projects, a Deputy Chief Executive of the Ghana Highway Authority (GHA), Alhaji Baba Kassim, said the authority was trying to get the contractors back to site to complete the works.
The other projects under the ‘Gang of Six’ roads are the reconstruction of the Dansoman Highway and the extension of the La Beach Road, both of which have been substantially completed.
The projects
So far, Messrs Sonitra has completed 95 per cent of the Tetteh Quarshie-Atomic road which started in November 2006 and was originally scheduled to be completed in January 2012.
The project completion date was revised to May 31, 2013 but that has also elapsed with no sign of completion.
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Similarly, Messrs China Water and Electric have also done 98 per cent of the Atomic Junction-Pantang stretch which started in July 2009 and was scheduled for completion in July 28, 2011.
Work on the Kwafokrom-Apedwa corridor, which provides a critical connection from the south to the northern part of the country, has also been halted.
Construction work on that road started in March 2006 and it was expected to be completed in 2009. Its completion date was revised to January 2013, but currently only 62.1 per cent of the 31.7-km road project has been executed.
It is estimated to cost $122.736 million as the foreign element and GH¢29.88 million.
Government’s GH¢400 million for infrastructure, including roads
The Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Mr Seth Terkper, had announced that the government had made available the cedi equivalent of $200 million for the payment of ongoing capital projects in various sectors of the economy to ensure their completion.
The amount, he had indicated, was part of the $740 million Eurobond proceeds that had been deposited in the country’s foreign reserve account.
“This means that the GH¢400 million has been moved from the reserve account into the Consolidated Fund, ready for effecting payments for work done,” he stated.
Mr Terkper had indicated in an interview with the Daily Graphic last year that the projects to receive funding were the ‘Gang of Six’, comprising the Tetteh-Quarshie-Madina road, the Sofoline Overpass in Kumasi, the Anyinam-Konongo-Nkawkaw bypass, the Ho-Fumey road and the Asankragua-Enchi road.
The Director of the Department of Urban Roads (DUR), Mr Abass Awolu, however, told the Daily Graphic that work on the GH¢131-million Sofoline Interchange in Kumasi was ongoing, stating that the major challenges had been payment of compensation and major variations in the initial road design.
He said the DUR did not owe the contractor any significant amount, as it was processing its last two certificates for payment.
Construction work on the interchange started in 2007 and was originally scheduled for completion in 2010 but design variations and the payment of compensation have been largely blamed for the delay in its completion.
Outstanding works on substantially completed projects
Major construction works have been completed on the Dansoman main road, the La Beach Road Extension and the Achimota-Ofankor highway.
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That notwithstanding, additional works, some of which have been described as critical in ensuring the full complement of the roads, are yet to be carried out.
The Resident Engineer, Mr Shelter Lotsu, told the Daily Graphic that the contractor was yet to hand over the projects to the government, as there were some outstanding works yet to be completed.
The works had stalled because of the government’s indebtedness to the contractors, he explained.
Currently, the uncompleted footbridge at Taifa poses a danger to users. The roads connecting the two sides of Ofankor (east and west) have also not been completed, cutting off the community from accessing the highway.
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Additionally, the bridge parapets to be installed to ensure safety of motorists on Tantra Hill have also not been completed. Some major link roads, including the Tantra Hill-Ghana Telecom and Tantra Hill-Tantra community, have also not been completed.
The main storm drain at Taifa, which was added as a variation to the contract, is also yet to be completed.
“This must be completed before the onset of the rains to avoid flooding of communities in around the project corridor in Taifa,” Mr Lotsu stated.
He said the contractor was likely to pack off the site before the end of March this year if the GH¢12 million was not paid on time.
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The period of extension expires by March 31, 2014.
The 5.7-kilometre road, which was expected to be completed in three years, dragged into six years due to challenges largely relating to financing and changes in the initial road designs.
The GH¢137,234,148.62 government-funded project was, however, substantially completed in September 2012.
The Achimota-Ofankor road forms part of the urban section of the dualisation of the Accra-Kumasi road. It has a three-lane dual carriageway and two-lane service roads with asphalt concrete surfacing, three interchanges and four footbridges, bicycle lanes, pedestrian walkways and lay-bys along the service roads.
The dualised Dansoman Highway, constructed along some selected collectors, including the Oblogo Road, the Newtown Road and Palace Street, at a cost of GH¢11 million, now provides a smoother riding experience for motorists.
The major works, according to the Accra Metropolitan Roads Engineer, Mr Benjamin Kusi Adomah, had been completed, even though some minor works remained to be carried out.
He said two contractors, Megazillion Limited and Movavi Limited, had been engaged to work on the walkways and the lay-bys on the 2.5-km stretch, spanning the Exhibition Roundabout to the Keep Fit Roundabout.
Minister’s reaction
The Minister of Roads and Highways, Alhaji Amin Amidu Sulemani, said the ministry was in discussions with the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning to release money for the completion of the projects.
Writer’s email: naa.bentil@graphic.com.gh