Minister urges Aburi road slope repairs contractor to speed up work

The Minister of Roads and Highways, Mr Kwasi Amoako-Atta, has tasked the contractor undertaking the slope repairs and protection works on the Ayi Mensah-Peduase Lodge-Aburi road to endeavour to complete the project on schedule, so that the road could be opened to the travelling public. 

Work on the project began on January 15, 2016 and was expected to be completed by January 2017.

However, the completion date for the project is now fixed for September 5, 2017, following a request by the contractor, CST Ltd, for an extension of time to enable it to complete the work.

Addressing workers on the project during a tour last Tuesday, Mr Amoako-Atta said the government was prepared to carry out its part of the deal and expected the contractor and engineers to also do what was expected of them.

The Ayi Mensah-Peduase Lodge-Aburi road is a design and build contract under which the contractor is expected to design, based on the topographic and geo-technical studies, and adopt an engineering measure to protect the slopes against any immediate failure.

Good project
The minister explained that the project, which was started by the previous government, was a good thing and that the current government was committed to continuing with it.
He said the contractors did a good thing by requesting for an extension of time, adding: “We realised that they had a good reason for requesting for the extension.”

Mr Amoako-Atta said he was happy with the work done so far and commended the Resident Engineer, Mr Senyo Koku Matrevi, for his high sense of professionalism.

Warning
Touching on the quality of roads, he warned that the ministry would no longer tolerate shoddy work by any contractor.

According to him, any such contractor would be blacklisted and never work for the country again.
He advised engineers, contractors and all those who had business to do with the ministry to take note and work accordingly. 

Delay in execution
Responding to why the contract had delayed, Mr Matrevi explained that the contractor submitted the designs in November 2016, even though the contract had been awarded in January 2016.

He said currently the contractor was  finalising the drainage drawing for vetting and approval for him to go ahead.

Mr Matrevi told the minister that the contractor had challenges with structures sited on the way of the project, saying, “Once in a while we call the property owners to have discussions with them.”

He promised that, as supervisors, “we will do our very best, in collaboration with the contractor. We will try and push them as much as we can and inform you from time to time about the progress of work”.

The Managing Director of CST Ltd, Mr Joseph Akyeampong, said the project was expected to last for at least 75 years.

Dome-Kitase Road
In a related development, the minister and his entourage inspected the Dome-Kitase road to ascertain progress of work.

The contract was awarded in 2011 and work is currently 41 per cent complete.

Mr Amoako-Atta said the road was an important alternative to the Ayi Mensah-Aburi road and should be worked on with the urgency that it deserved.