GOVERNMENT has threatened to terminate all contracts for on-going road projects within the Greater Accra Region that are far behind schedule, in order to avoid further inconveniences to commuters.
This statement was made on Thursday when the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Nii Armah Ashietey, together with Deputy Minister of Roads and Highways, Dr. Oakley Quaye Kuma, and the Director of Urban Roads, Dr. Daniel Duaquye Darko, inspected on-going road projects in some parts of the region.
The inspection of the projects was prompted by numerous complaints received from commuters who had filed reports at the regional office.
The onset of the rainy season has destroyed many of the main and alternate roads which commuters use to and from their homes, while the delay in the road construction projects has caused heavy traffic in many parts of the city.
Some of the projects likely to be terminated if government is pushed to the wall would include the La-Teshie Beach Road Project, Buade Road linking Nungua barrier and Spintex road, and the Teshie By-Pass Bridge linking the road from Teshie to IPS.
During the inspection, the team learnt to their utter dismay that only one project, the rehabilitation of the Spintex Road, Adjiriganor Road and the realignment of Spintex Road behind the Shangri-La Hotel, was on course.
They praised the contractor, M/S Ussuya Ghana Limited, for being ahead of the schedule for the contract.
Before the onset of such projects, contractors make promises to deliver before the deadline, but it was made clear during the inspection that the opposite is always true.
Some of the projects had been abandoned for months, with the contractors packing off and leaving the project site, whilst other contractors who were seen on site were far behind schedule.
At La-Teshie, Messrs Big Aidoo Construction Limited, which was contracted to widen the existing carriage way into a dual carriage on both sides, with walkways and bicycle lanes, was far behind schedule, as the deadline and date for handing over the project to government had passed.
According to the resident engineer, Ing. Peter Amoako, the project was three years behind schedule. Work on the road, which started on July 11, 2007, was expected to be completed on March 11, 2008.
He stressed that the project was extended on three occasions and the design was reviewed, necessitating a change of the gravel being used and change of the surface dressing to Asphaltic pavement in September 2009. Due to the revision of the project, the initial cost of �29,989,227,320.00 has shot up to GH�3,282,568.78.
Further extensions granted by government moved the project completion date to October 2010, but as at the time the team visited the project, only 65 percent work had been done.
But the contractor, Big Aidoo, in an interview, explained that the main reason for the delay was the late issuing of certificates.
During the inspection, Mr Ashietey hinted that government was considering a policy to terminate all the delayed contracts and re-award them. He said the actions of the contractors were making the NDC government unpopular, hence the essence of the termination.
Director of Urban Roads stressed that the excuse by the contractors was baseless as government had released most of the certificates to them. He therefore called on Ghanaians to have patience and allow government to provide them with quality work.
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