The Minister for Roads and Highways, Kwame Governs Agbodza, has disclosed that the government has paid more than $25 million owed to contractors working on the Suame Interchange project to accelerate work towards completion.
The minister disclosed this during a meeting of government delegation led by Ashanti Regional Minister, Frank Amoakohene, and the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II at the Manhyia Palace on Friday.
The visit formed part of planned consultations between government and traditional authorities on key development projects in the region.
According to Mr. Agbodza, the settlement of the outstanding debt accumulated during Ghana’s economic challenges in 2022 will enable the contractor to fully mobilise and go back to site and expedite progress on the long-delayed interchange project in Kumasi.
“We expect the contractor to be fully mobilized on site to complete the project,” he said, emphasising government’s renewed commitment to critical road infrastructure under the administration of John Dramani Mahama.
The minister also outlined plans for a major road infrastructure expansion aimed at decongesting Kumasi. He revealed that government was designing a comprehensive ring road spanning over 100 kilometers around the city.
The proposed project will allow motorists who do not need to enter the Central Business district of Kumasi to bypass it and thus reduce pressure on key routes, including the Suame Interchange.
“As is done in major cities around the world, this orbital will enable drivers to go around Kumasi and re-enter at their preferred points without contributing to congestion in the city center,” Mr. Agbodza told the Asantehene.
He added that construction of a key bypass stretch, approximately 47 kilometers from Ejisu, is already underway.
With regards to concerns about possible downsising of the Suame Interchange project, the Minister assured the Asantehene that government had no intention of cutting costs at the expense of quality or scope of the project.
“We do not intend to take a pesewa out of the project. Any savings made will be reinvested into related infrastructure, including other critical interchanges,” he assured.
Mr. Agbodza noted that additional projects, including the Mampong Interchange, remain priorities and will benefit from any reallocation of resources.
The Minister reaffirmed government’s commitment to infrastructure development in the Ashanti Region, stressing that ongoing and planned investments, estimated at several billions of cedis, are aimed at improving mobility and supporting economic growth.
He assured Otumfuo that engineers were working closely with contractors to finalize designs that integrate the Suame Interchange with the broader bypass and orbital road systems.
In a related development, the Government of Ghana has engaged the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, to secure support and cooperation from traditional authorities as it prepares to clear an 80-kilometre stretch of Greenfield land in the Ashanti Region for the proposed Accra–Kumasi Expressway.
The request was made during a joint courtesy call by delegations from the Ministry of Roads and Highways and the Ministry of Defence at the Manhyia Palace on Friday.
Deputy Minister for Defence, Ernest Brogya Genfi, appealed to the Asantehene to facilitate engagement with chiefs in affected communities, noting that the clearance exercise will impact farmlands and illegal mining sites.
“The entire project spans 198.7 kilometres, with 80 kilometres located within the Ashanti Region. That stretch is critical as it includes farms and illegal mining areas.
“We are here to seek Otumfuo’s blessings and intervention to ensure cooperation from chiefs within the affected areas,” he said.
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The post Government Pays $25m To Contractors … To Accelerate Work On The Suame Interchange Project appeared first on The Ghanaian Chronicle.
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