After months of delay, this paper can report that work on the Tetteh Quarshie-Madina and Madina-Pantang roads are respectively nearing completion.
Construction company SONITRA, in November 2006, won the bid to construct the 4.6 kilometer Tetteh Quarshie-Madina three-lane dual carriageway, but is yet to complete the road which was scheduled for completion in May 2009.
Their inability has been mainly due to delay in funding as well as difficulties with the University of Ghana authorities with regards to the opening of its southern gate.
It would be recalled that, Resident Engineer of SONITRA, Mr. Eben Gyampo, made accusation against the University authorities to the effect that they had refused to open to traffic, its (UG?s) southern exit road, which joins the Tetteh-Quarshie to Madina road at the Okponglo Junction, to lessen pressure on the main entrance, and thereby allow construction work to progress on an interchange close to the entrance.
He said the authorities opined that opening the road to traffic would pose a security threat to the institution and that they needed to install security streetlights before opening it.
But with the University opening the southern gate, this reporter can confirm that work on the interchange is nearing completion.
China Water Electric Company Limited (CWE) was in 2006 also given the task to continue construction from the Madina section of the road to Pantang.
Though the three-lane carriageway was scheduled for completion last November, Today can report that with the exception of footbridges, the 5.6-kilometre road is 90% complete.
The completion of the highway is being executed at a cost of $38.7 million and is expected to reduce traffic congestion on the corridor.
The project is being financed by the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA) and the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) with counterpart funding by the government of Ghana.
The road, when completed, would have four footbridges, bicycle lanes and pedestrian walkways, as well as special lay-bys along the service roads.
The works would also include street lighting, road line markings and road signs.
Head of the Commercial Department of the CWE, Mr. Changsing, said although the project was nearing completion, there were some challenges which needed to be addressed.
One of the major challenges, he said, was that the road was too busy, especially, the Madina market portion.
The busy nature of the road, Mr. Changsing said, made it difficult for the company to work as expected.
In order to address the problem, he said, the CWE had appealed to the traditional councils and the Adentan Police to assist the company in controlling the crowd, since the project would serve the interest of the people.
STORY: SELORM ATUTORNU
