Obetsebi-Lamptey Interchange will result in free movement – Akufo-Addo

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has cut the sod for the construction of the Obetsebi-Lamptey Interchange in Accra to help address the congestion commuters who use the roundabout face and help improve mobility on the Ring Road corridor.

The project will have a three-tier interchange, with the ground level having a remodelled roundabout, while the second tier will be an east-to-west flyover linking the Graphic Road to the Kaneshie-Mallam road (the Dr K. A. Busia Highway).

Addressing enthusiastic chiefs, shop and property owners around the project site just before the sod-cutting, the President said the third tier would be a north-south flyover on the Ring Road West, which would link the Ring Road from the Royal House Chapel to the Central Mosque at Abossey Okai.

He stated that critical drainage structures around the roundabout would be upgraded under the project, saying that was necessary to reduce the incidence of flooding at the roundabout.

The first phase of the work will be completed in 18 months.

At the ceremony was a wheel-chaired octogenarian, Mrs Augustina Obetsebi-Lamptey, the wife of Emmanuel Obetsebi-Lamptey, one of the Big Six of Ghana’s independence struggle and the late Jake Otanka Obetsebi-Lamptey’s father.

Funding

President Akufo-Addo gave an assurance that the $135-million funding for the project had been secured from the Export Credit facilities from the United Kingdom and Spain.

He appealed to those whose properties might be affected by the project to cooperate with the Ministry of Roads and Highways and all other relevant state institutions to assess the compensation, saying: “We shall ensure that fair and adequate compensation is properly paid to all persons for such properties.”

Phases

The President said the construction would be done in two phases, with phase one consisting of the construction of the east-west flyover and other related works, while the second phase would involve the construction of the third-tier flyover on the Ring Road West (towards the Kwame Nkrumah Interchange).

He explained that the interchange would improve mobility on the western part of the Ring Road, help improve travel times to the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital and improve access to the Abossey Okai Spare Parts Area and businesses along the Graphic Road and the Kaneshie-Mallam highway.

Supervision

He urged the contractor to pay full attention to employers’ requirements which were clearly spelt out in the contract and called on the Ministry of Roads and Highways to ensure that the contractor worked to realise that.

He said that was necessary to guarantee value for money for the investment the government was making.

He also advised him to put in place the necessary traffic management measures to minimise any inconvenience the construction would bring to commuters and pedestrians.

Funding

President Akufo-Addo announced that the Ministry of Finance had released GH¢2.2 billion to the Ministry of Roads and Highways for the payment of works done by road contractors across the country as part of moves to improve cash flow for contractors and ensure that those who were not at the construction sites returned to complete their projects.

“I am directing the Ministry of Roads and Highways to monitor closely the performance of every contractor engaged by the government. I’ve instructed the ministry not to hesitate to terminate the contract of non-performing contractors,” he stated.

Some roads

The President said the government was tackling critical road projects in a holistic manner, so that every part of the country would have quality, all-weather roads and mentioned some of such projects that were progressing steadily in Accra.

They include the dualisation of the School Junction Road at Adjiringanor, which is 95 per cent complete; the Dome-Taifa road, which is 60 per cent complete;

the LEKMA road, with one of the two carriageways expected to be completed by the end of the year, while the concrete roads in Tema are 50 per cent complete and will be completed by March next year.

Minister

The Minister of Roads and Highways, Mr Kwasi Amoako-Attah, urged the contractor to work at night to reduce the inconvenience motorists who plied the area might go through.

He also asked him to use proper traffic management measures to ensure that minimal disruptions were made to traffic flows during the construction period.

He said his ministry would ensure that the works were undertaken to standards and specifications, so that Ghanaians would have value for money under this investment.