Obetsebi Lamptey Interchange: Ancillary works slow down over funds

Final ancillary works on portions of the Obetsebi Lamptey Interchange have slowed due to delays in the release of funds to execute them, the Resident Engineer of the project, Owusu Sekyere Antwi, has said. 

“We are waiting for some money and it has not come yet, so the construction has slowed down,” he said.

The works include the laying of pavement blocks on the walkways, doing the wearing course (second course of asphalt), road lines and markings, road furniture (road signs, directional signs) and the installation of traffic lights.

Completion

However, he told the Daily Graphic last Tuesday that although some of the works had been done, it was left with wearing course (second course of asphalt), road line marking and traffic lights.

He said the scheduled completion of the works this month was accurate but “unfortunately, because the money hasn’t arrived, we’ve slowed down a little”

He said once the money was released, the contractor would complete the work.

A major item left, he said, was a footbridge to be constructed from Awudome towards STC, adding that the bridge was being manufactured outside the country and once it arrived, its construction would begin.

Mr Antwi said it should arrive within the next two months.

A visit to the facility showed the mounting of some road signs and pavement blocks, leaving some portions to be completed.

A substantial completion of Phase Two of the project, which involved the construction of a 389-metre bridge from the Korle Bu end towards the Kwame Nkrumah Interchange, was done in December last year. 

Project

The entire project costs €87 million.

Phase One of the project was completed and inaugurated by President Akufo-Addo on Tuesday, November 24, 2020, while Phase Two, which is made up of a flyover on the Ring Road West (Awudome to the Abossey Okai Central Mosque) and the widening of the Ring Road West (from Awudome Junction to Obetsebi Lamptey Interchange) into a two by three dual carriageway, was completed in November 29, 2024.

The project, among other things, aimed at improving traffic flow between key arterials, including the Ring Road West towards the Nkrumah Interchange and the Ring Road West Extension towards Abossey Okai.

The Obetsebi-Lamptey Interchange project is being executed by the QG Construction Limited.