The Minister of Roads and Highways, Kwame Governs Agbodza, has expressed satisfaction with Ghanaian contractors working under the government’s flagship infrastructure delivery programme, the Big Push.
He said a number of the contractors engaged under the initiative were Ghanaians and they were living up to expectation so far as delivery was concerned, stating that the commitment and professionalism of the Ghanaian contractors were a clear indication of the country’s growing local capacity in road construction.
The Roads Minister gave the commendation when he inspected some ongoing road projects in Accra to assess progress, quality of work and address challenges affecting delivery timelines.
The projects form part of the government’s broader drive to improve road infrastructure
Tour
The Road Minister’s visit was to enable him to come face-to-face with engineers and contractors on site to address any hurdles to improve the quality of work and timely completion.
Wisdom Adonu (left), CEO of Mowlem International Limited, briefing Kwame Governs Agbodza and his deputy, Alhassan Suhuyini (middle), on the progress of work at the TT Brothers Junction
Areas visited included the Accra-Tema Motorway, the Dodowa-Afienya-Dawhenya road and selected town roads within the Dawhenya enclave.
During the tour, Mr Agbodza, who is also the Member of Parliament for Adaklu, observed that due to the dry weather, some of the areas had become very dusty, creating further inconvenience for road users and the community.
For such roads, the minister directed that they be watered regularly to mitigate the impact of the dust on motorists and nearby residents.
Tema Motorway
At the Tetteh Quarshie Interchange, part of the Tema Motorway project, the Project Manager in charge of the stretch from the interchange to the Community 18 Junction, Ben Sackey, briefed the minister on the progress of work and explained that some of the beams had been successfully launched, while others were still in progress.
Ongoing construction at the Tetteh Quarshie Interchange, which is part of the Accra–Tema Motorway expansion
“We have a total of 24 beams to launch, with each section taking six beams. We have completed six sections so far, following the last traffic management arrangement,” he said.
Mr Sackey added that work on the beam installation would continue over the next four months, urging the public to exercise patience as work progressed steadily.
He expressed optimism that the project would be fully completed by the end of 2027.
At Community 18 Junction, the Project Manager explained that the construction of an overpass was aimed at improving traffic flow and reducing congestion, particularly along the stretch leading to Ashaley Botwe.
“The intention is to link all the roads from Community 18 to Ashaley Botwe to allow for smoother movement, whether one is heading towards Accra, Tema or adjoining areas,” he said.
Accra, Tema Road
At the TT Brothers Junction on the Industrial Area Road at Tema, work had stalled.
The Chief Executive Officer of the construction company, Mowlem International Limited, Wisdom Adonu, attributed the delay to challenges with loan disbursement.
He, however, indicated that the situation had been resolved and “we are undertaking a remobilisation exercise for full work to resume after the Easter period,” he said.
The minister consequently gave the contractor a two-week ultimatum to resume active work.
Dawhenya-Afienya-Dodowa
The minister also visited the Dodowa-Afienya-Dawhenya Road project, which spans about 24.8 kilometres, with additional town roads of about three kilometres, being handled by Oswald Investments Limited.
The Big Push
Touching on the government’s flagship “Big Push” initiative, the Roads Minister described it as a bold step towards accelerating infrastructure delivery across the country.
He said the initiative prioritised key road networks that connect production centres to markets and facilitate the movement of people and goods.
Mr Agbodza stated that the success of the Big Push would depend on the collective effort of all stakeholders, each contributing diligently to the larger goal.
He therefore encouraged the contractors to sustain the momentum and continue to justify the confidence reposed in them.
He also stressed that their success would play a crucial role in transforming the nation’s road infrastructure and supporting long-term development and urged them to continue delivering quality work that meets international standards.
Mr Agbodza further said the government, for its part, did not owe any of the companies executing the projects, but had rather provided the enabling environment for them to operate.
Source:
www.graphic.com.gh
