Pokuase-Nsawam highway project faces delay, new deadline yet to be set

The chief resident engineer for the Pokuase-Nsawam Highway project, Ing. Kwabena Bempong, has revealed that the initial July 2024 completion date for the construction work will be postponed.

He mentioned that the significant amount of work remaining makes it impossible to meet the original July deadline.

Speaking on Citi FM, Ing. Bempong stated that although the project will not be completed by the planned date, the contractor has yet to propose a new schedule.

“We have requested the contractor to give us a revised programme and obviously for a project like this, we need to have an extension of time approved by the Ministry of Roads and Highways and until that, we cannot say anything.

“So far as we are concerned, the completion date is July but we all know that it is not possible so the contractor will have to give us compelling reasons why it is not possible to complete it [the project] on the date that was originally scheduled,” he said.

Ing. Bempong pointed to the relocation of utility lines and the compensation of those affected by the project as key factors causing the delay.

“Relocation of utility lines and longitudinal drains are some of the major reasons the project has been delayed. We are relocating electricity, water and communication lines.

“The other challenge is the relocation of people affected by the project. Some people are trying to injunct the project and we still have litigations. We are two years into the project and we still have some of the utility lines in the road space,” he explained.