By Benjamin A. Commey
Amasaman (GAR), Oct. 12, GNA — The Minister of Roads and Highways, Mr Kwasi Amoako-Attah, has asked the contractor working on the 33.4km Ofankor-Nsawam road project to make the road flood resistant.
Speaking to the contractor during an inspection tour of the project site, the Minister said he had noted with concern the flooding of major highways across the country, a situation he said, was the failure on the part of contractors to deploy flood control measures to mitigate such occurrences.
He warned that, going forward, the Government would not tolerate any contractor who did put in place measures to check flooding.
“I want all contractors in our country to take note of that. In the past, we have had a lot of road construction and after commissioning, the road gets flooded. I do not know whether the engineers do not avert their minds to that during the period of construction.
“I wouldn’t say that all of them were due to the construction, I wouldn’t draw that conclusion, but from now onwards and for some time now, I have been telling all of you that we do not want flooding after construction,” he said.
“This is a major road, a highway. This is the central corridor road in our country, so, you must work to near perfection. Bear that in mind. So, by the time you finish this project we do not want to experience any flooding on any stretch of the road,” he cautioned.
Mr Amoako-Attah said the project was dear to the heart of that Government as its completion would ease the traffic burden on commuters and promote economic activity in the country.
The road serves as a vital link for trade between Ghana and its neighbouring landlocked countries- Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, and for transit cargo to move from the country’s ports to those destinations.
The Minister warned the contractor against prioritising the safety over cost.
He said: “You should never under any circumstance sacrifice safety for cost. Do not. I am not saying that (cost) is not important, it is important, but, when it comes to safety, do not sacrifice it for anything because human life is more important than everything.”
The Minister, while commending the contractor for work done so far, assured government’s continued support to ensure that the project was delivered as scheduled.
Briefing the Minister on the progress of work, Mr Kwabena Bempong, the Consultant for the Project, said the contractor was working day and night to ensure that the project was completed on time.
He appealed for settlement of compensation to affected persons with expediency, as well as relocation of utility and telecommunication lines to ensure timely completion of the project.
The Minister was accompanied on the inspection tour by Mr Stephen Jalulah, Deputy Minister of Roads; Dr Abass Awolu, Chief Director of the Ministry; Mr Christian Nti, Chief Executive Officer, Ghana Highways Authority (GHA); Mr Roosevelt Otu, Director, Department of Feeder Roads and other directors of the GHA and officials of the Urban Roads.
Also present were Mr Clement Wilkinson, Municipal Chief Executive of Ga West, Mr Seth Kwame Acheampong, Eastern Regional Minister and Madam Josephine Awuku Nkum, District Chief Executive for Ayensuanu in the Eastern Region.
Rehabilitation work on the 33.4km Ofankor-Nsawam stretch, which forms part of the Accra-Kumasi road network, commenced in July this year.
The two-year project, expected to be ready by July 2024, is funded by the Government and is being undertaken by Maripoma Enterprise Limited at GHS342.48 million.
Currently a two-lane dual carriageway road, the project, when completed will have three lanes, with service lanes, one main interchange and three overpasses.
GNA