Work on two Accra interchanges progressing

Work is progressing steadily on two interchanges which are expected to significantly improve traffic flow in parts of Accra.

They are the Pokuase Interchange in the Ga West municipality and the Obetsebi-Lamptey Interchange in the Korle Klottey municipality, both in Accra.

When the Daily Graphic visited the Obetsebi-Lamptey Interchange yesterday, no authorised person was on site to speak to the team.

However, the team observed that three precast piers had already been laid, with workers dredging an open drain in preparation for its reconstruction.

 An aerial view of the Obetsebi-Lamptey Interchange

Pokuase interchange

At the Pokuase Interchange, the Resident Engineer of the Pokuase Interchange and Local Roads Project, Mr Kwabena Bempong, said work was about 57 per cent complete.

According to him, all the necessary foundations had been laid, noting that what was left to be done included the laying of the decks for the overhead roads and flyovers.

He added that out of the about 500 piles (columns into the soil) meant to be erected, 470 had been completed.

The project comprises a three-tier interchange at Pokuase, the construction of the five-kilometre Awoshie-Pokuase road, the two-kilometre Accra-Nsawam road, the two-kilometre Kwabenya road and 10 kilometres of local roads.

The project is funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Ghana government.

Work done

Giving a breakdown of the project, Mr Bempong said the local roads were about 97 per cent complete.

He added that the Accra-Kumasi road portion was about 50 per cent complete, the interchange 46 per cent and the Awoshie-Kwabenya road 80 per cent complete.

“We have finished with all the foundation works and done quite over 50 per cent of the pile caps and the piers,” he explained.

“We are now concentrating on the deck, of which we currently have done 135 metres. By the end of this month, we would have done an additional 81 metres, making it 216 metres,” he added.

Diversions

Mr Bempong said the contractor would, in the next few days, divert all traffic to the right of the Accra-Kumasi road (for motorists heading from Accra to Kumasi) to make way for construction.

He said the necessary works, such as the installation of streetlights and stationing of traffic wardens to ensure that there was free flow of traffic during the period of diversion, were being done.

Touching on the work done so far, he said “we have completed a 2.6-kilometre surface road before the U-turn that will take motorists to the John Teye bypass on the Kwabenya road”.

Compensation

Mr Bempong said compensation amounting to GH¢2.5 million had been paid to owners of critical structures along the project site, explaining that currently, compensation was being paid in respect of all non-critical structures affected by the construction.

“We are giving letters to ‘project affected persons’ and those who accept their cheques are being paid,” he said.

He expressed the hope that, barring any unforeseen issues, the contractors would meet the October 3, 2020 deadline, as they were working assiduously to meet the target.