Legal disputes stall progress on Ofankor-Nsawam road project

Ghanaian

More than 100 legal disputes, covering a range of issues from human rights to ownership claims over sections of the road designated for the reconstruction of the 18.1 km Ofankor-Nsawam dual carriage­way project, are causing delays in completing the work as scheduled, Graphic Online reports.

Chief Resident Engineer, Kwabena Bempong, stated that some of these cases date back to 2022

Read full articleand are preventing his team from meeting the government's August deadline.

He explained that the litigation has stalled the relocation of utility lines like electricity, telephone infrastructure, and water, which is necessary before completing the construction of the main roads and service roads.

Despite these challenges, Mr. Bempong informed the Minister-designate for Roads and Highways, Francis Asenso-Boakye, during a recent site visit, that significant progress has been made on the project.

He reported the completion of a railway bridge, including an underpass at the Pokuase Interchange project, with the retaining wall nearly finished.

Additionally, about 50 percent of the work on 10 footbridges has been completed, and the construction of cross-drain structures is 90 percent done. He noted that a substantial amount of earthwork and sub-base has been laid from Pokuase, and significant progress has been made on interchanges at Amasaman, Pobiman, and Medie.

During the visit, Mr. Asenso-Boakye urged the contractors to complete the project by October to alleviate traffic congestion.

He emphasized the project's importance in improving transportation between major economic centers such as Tema, Accra, Kumasi, and neighboring countries.

The minister-designate expressed contentment with the project's progress but also highlighted the poor maintenance culture of the public, which has contributed to the deterioration of roads like the Accra-Kumasi stretch.