Flowerpot flyover: Accra-bound section ready in June — Engineer

The Accra-bound portion of the flyover on the Motorway Interchange at Flowerpot will be completed in June this year, the project consultant, Emmanuel Kobla Degbotse, has assured. 

This means drivers heading towards Accra from East Legon can use the flyover but would have to look for alternative routes to head back home.

With the entire project expected to be completed in October this year, the consultant said work on the Accra-bound portion was 95 per cent completed, adding “we have five per cent left and if the Ministry of Roads and Highways gives us the go-ahead, we can open the Accra bound in June and in another four months which should be in October, we should finish the entire project,” Mr Degbotse said when the Minister of Roads and Highways, Francis Asenso-Boakye, together with officials of the ministry, paid a working visit to the site last Friday (April 12).  

The visit was the latest in a series of project site visits he has been embarking on since assuming office as the sector minister this year. 

Scope

The 800-metre flyover project, which commenced on March 7, 2017, starts from the Palace Mall and ends on the East Legon Boundary Road. It includes additional ramps onto the motorway and improvement at the Flowerpot roundabout at Spintex and access through the old tunnel (underbridge) to East Legon.

The project forms part of efforts by the ministry to improve access between the northern and southern parts of the motorway to reduce congestion at the Flowerpot interaction on the Spintex road. 

Impressed

Briefing the minister, Mr Degbotse explained that the foundation, columns and pier caps of the flyover had been done. He added that abutments and retaining walls of the flyover were 84 per cent complete, while the deck (superstructure) was 72 per cent complete.

He said the box culvert on the Cantonment Link Road had been completed, while drainage and culvert works stood at 60 per cent complete. Mr Asenso-Boakye expressed satisfaction at the progress of work so far, saying "I am very impressed about the schedule of work.

Since I assumed office, I have had the opportunity to meet with the contractors and urged them that it is important that they complete as soon as possible," he said.

The minister assured of the government's commitment to ensure that the project was completed in October, two months ahead of the December deadline. 

Ledzokuku

Mr Asenso-Boakye made a stop to inspect rehabilitation works being carried out on the roads in the Ledzokuku Municipality.  The Municipal Chief Executives of Ledzokuku and the Krowor municipal assemblies, Mordecai Quarshie, and Joshua Nii Bortey respectively, as well as the New Patriotic Party (NPP) 2024 Parliamentary Candidate for the Ledzokuku Constituency, Dr Bernard Okoe Boye, joined the minister on the tour.

The roads include the Tsui Bleoo, Fertiliser, King Kotey, A Street, 3rd Avenue, 3rd Avenue Extension, Ford, Nuumo Maashie, Coffee Street, Obedeka, Manna Mission, Zongo and Rasta.

Work on the Tsuibleoo, Fertiliser, A-Street & Links, Sixth and Third Avenue, as well as Coffee Street Roads, have been completed, while work was ongoing on the King Kotey Street, Nuumo Nmashie Street, Teshie North Bypass, Adom Street, Ford Road, Bush Road links, Oak Street Links roads.

Work was, however, yet to commence on the Bush road, E-street, 10th Avenue, Nii Dua Wulormor, Palm Street, Obedeka and Manna roads. On the state of the construction of the Beach Road stretching from Osu to Nungua, Mr Asenso-Boakye explained that the project had stalled due to the government’s negotiations with the International Monetary Fund.

He, however, assured that the government was far advanced with negotiations, adding that work would resume soon to complete the project by December this year.