The rehabilitation and dualization of the 23km Takoradi – Agona Junction Road is advancing steadily.
According to Justmoh Construction Limited, the contractor undertaking the project, work has achieved 50.82% progress, surpassing the planned progress of 47.10%.
With 33.3% of the contract period expired (12 months out of 36 months), the project is on track for its scheduled completion date of March 19, 2027.
The project scope encompasses:
- Total Length: 23km, comprising:
- Rehabilitation of 3.4km existing dual carriageway
- Dualization of 19.6km existing single carriageway
- Construction of four concrete bridges:
- Two bridges at Apremdo
- Two bridges at Ewusiejoe
Western Regional Highways Engineer Kofi Adjei Frimpong briefed the Minister of Roads and Highways Governs Kwame Agbodza, during his inaugural project inspection.
“Technically, we’re supposed to build four bridges, but so far, we’ve completed two — ne at Apremdo and one at Ewusiejoe –and they’re now open to traffic.”
The Regional Engineer highlighted the project’s innovative approach, stating, “we’re recycling the existing asphalt. The contractor has acquired specialized equipment for this purpose. We recycle, mix it with cement to form the sub-base, and then add the base and asphalt.”
The Regional Engineer Kofi Adjei Frimpong highlighted compensation as a major challenge, stating that the budgeted amount is insufficient.
This has hindered construction in towns, where residents are ready to relocate but are awaiting compensation.
The outstanding compensation amount is approximately 35 million Ghana cedis, affecting not only residents but also utilities. Although the contractor has submitted three certificates, no payments have been made.
Minister of Roads and Highways, Governs Kwame Agbodza, expressed satisfaction with the quality of work done by Justmoh Construction Limited during his inspection of the project.
He commended their efforts, stating they’ve been working diligently to meet the scheduled completion date.
Meanwhile, with the contractor now building concrete bridges and decommissioning old metal ones, Minister Agbodza, in consultation with Western Regional Minister Joseph Nelson, is urging the Roads and Highways department to identify new locations in the region to install the decommissioned bridges instead of storing them.
Mr. Agbodza, expressed concerns over the large number of haulage trucks on the Tarkwa to Takoradi road, specifically regarding the frequent destruction caused by bauxite and manganese transportation.
During an inspection of the 50.8% completed Agona-Nkwanta to Takoradi road, Agbodza questioned the continuous haulage of these minerals, which is damaging the road infrastructure.
“The companies whose trucks are destroying the road barely contribute to the revenue. Some of them claim to be making losses on their balance sheets for the past five years. If a business is loss-making for that long, it’s questionable why it should continue operating.
“The bottom line is that this road is funded by taxpayers like you and me. Are we willing to see it deteriorate within two years and then look for more funding? I don’t think that’s a responsible way to manage things.
“We’re escalating discussions about axle loads on this and other roads to a certain level and will make a decision. For miners, the solution is straightforward – they used to transport goods to the port by rail. Most countries use this method.
“I believe we’ve reached a point where we need to say that if companies are interested in working with bauxite and manganese, they should collaborate with stakeholders to transport their goods to the port by rail instead of road. It’s time we make that decision.” the minister stated.
Justmoh Construction CEO Dr. Justice Amoh expressed gratitude to the Minister and urged him to honour the payment certificate submitted to the ministry.
The completion of the project hinges on timely payments, Dr. Amoh emphasized, stating, “we could have done better if we had received some payments.” However, he welcomed the Ministry’s assurance to settle outstanding dues for the work done.
By Ebenezer Atiemo
