Accra, Feb 7, GNA – Motorists and commuters who use the Accra-Tema Beach Road would have to deal with the evening gridlock along the stretch a little longer, following an extension of the completion date for the reconstruction of the Kpeshie bridge.
Construction works on the Tema bound section of the bridge, which was expected to have been completed in December 2022, has now been extended to March 2023.
The bridge was closed to traffic was to allow contractors working on the Accra-Tema Beach Road Expansion Project construct a new bridge across the Kpeshie Lagoon near La.
When completed, the bridge would replace the current one, including a bailey bridge that was put across the Lagoon to ease congestion on the stretch.
Mr Kweku Attakow Diafo, the resident engineer in charge of the project told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that the delay was because of the unavailability of some components needed for the project.
He said, the ones that were available did not meet the right specifications therefore the contractor had to import them, resulting in the delay.
Mr Diafo announced the December 2022 completion date when Mr Kwasi Amoako-Atta, the Minister of Roads and Highways earlier in 2022 paid a working visit to the site to gain firsthand information about the project.
He said, despite the delay, work on the bridge was steadily progressing and would be completed by the second week of March 2023.
“We are not happy about the delay, and we are doing our possible best to ease the inconveniences on commuters and motorists,” he said.
The scope of work on the bridge includes an 80-metre two-way four-lane and ancillary works.
When the GNA visited the project site, it observed that two expansion joints had been completed, and casting of concrete over the bridge had been done.
The Kpeshie bridge is one of the three bridges being constructed under phase one of the Accra-Tema Beach Road Expansion Project.
GNA