According to the demonstrators, the absence of a pedestrian bridge has made crossing the busy highway extremely dangerous, especially for schoolchildren and the elderly.

They lamented that several near-fatal accidents have already occurred, yet authorities have failed to take action.

In interviews with Adom News, some residents appealed to the road contractor working on the Ofankor–Nsawam stretch to urgently assess the situation and construct a footbridge to prevent further casualties.

They described the daily struggle to cross the road as “a risk to life” and called for immediate intervention from both the Ministry of Roads and Highways and the Ghana Highway Authority.

The Ofankor–Nsawam highway is a key route linking Accra to parts of the country.

The ongoing expansion project has improved traffic flow but left pedestrians vulnerable in several communities, including Sapieman, Pokuase, and Amasaman.

Despite repeated appeals from residents, no pedestrian crossing or footbridge has been provided, a situation that continues to endanger lives and spark community agitation.

Source: Prince Owusu Asiedu

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Speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show, the minister explained that with the government having fully paid the contractor $77 million, there are no financial constraints delaying progress.

“The explanation given by the consultant helping the contractor is that we have done about 75% of the work, which means that we have done the bulk of the work already,” he said.

Mr. Agbodza made the disclosure a day after touring the project with President John Mahama, who charged the contractor to complete the work on schedule, reminding him that the government will hold him to the June 2026 deadline.

Describing the project as critical, as it connects Accra and Kumasi—the country’s two largest cities—President Mahama noted that delays had caused significant hardship for commuters and raised concerns about financial management.

In recent months, commuters have intensified pressure on the government to prioritise the road, citing heavy traffic congestion, frequent accidents, and rising vehicle maintenance costs along the stretch.

The Ofankor–Nsawam project began in July 2022 with an initial completion date of July 2024. It stalled for several months due to mounting debt and worsening congestion, before work resumed after the Mahama administration mobilised funds to clear the arrears, enabling the contractor to return to the site.

Source: myjoyonline

Speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show on Thursday, September 4, following an inspection of the project alongside President John Mahama the previous day, Mr. Agbodza revealed that over $77 million has been paid, leaving no financial obligations on the government’s part.

When host Wiston Amoah asked, “Under your tenure, how much has been paid so far to the contractor?” the minister replied:

“In excess of $77 million. So as of today, we don’t owe the contractor a penny; every certificate raised, which was outstanding before we came to power, based upon which they abandoned the site, we have paid fully.”

He expressed confidence that with the financial hurdle cleared, work on the major highway would progress swiftly.

During the site tour, President Mahama urged the contractor to expedite construction and meet the stipulated timeline, emphasizing that delays would not be tolerated.

The President also announced that the contract has been incorporated into the government’s Big Push programme, with GH¢14 billion allocated for this year and an additional GH¢30 billion expected next year, ensuring sufficient resources to keep contractors on track.

Source: myjoyonline

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He made this known while accompanying President John Mahama on an inspection tour of the project, stressing that all arrears had been settled to ensure steady progress on the highway.

President Mahama has already directed the contractor to complete the project by June 2026, insisting on timely delivery.

Echoing this position, the Roads Minister said the contractor would be held accountable to the agreed timeline.

The Ofankor–Nsawam stretch, which links Accra to parts of the Eastern and Ashanti regions, has suffered repeated delays over the years, worsening traffic congestion.

With this latest intervention, commuters are hopeful that the long-standing challenges on the corridor will soon be addressed.

Source: Adomonline

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However, despite the progress, residents of Shikpong Telle have raised concerns about the lack of a footbridge, which they believe would help reduce road accidents.

Residents who spoke to Adom News expressed their worries about the safety of pedestrians, especially children and the elderly, who have to cross the road daily.

They appealed for a footbridge to be constructed to provide a safe crossing point.

“We have to walk about 1 and half kilometers to Toll Man everyday to use the footbridge because we don’t have one here at Shikpong Telle”.

Adom News captured footage of women carrying their babies crossing the road, highlighting the risks that pedestrians take daily.

“We stay at Kuntunse-Satellite going to church at Pobiman we have always cross the road because the closes footbridge is not complete so we are afraid to use it.”

The residents’ concerns underscore the need for a footbridge to ensure the safety of pedestrians and prevent accidents.

Source Prince Owusu Asiedu

Appearing before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in Parliament, Mr. Suhuyini acknowledged that the 33.4-kilometre stretch had become a major source of frustration but assured the public that construction works had resumed.

“I have my Minister’s permission to, first of all, apologise to all motorists on that stretch. It’s one of the hot potatoes we inherited at the Ministry. By the time we assumed office, the contractor, like many others, had abandoned the site due to non-payment,” he explained.

He noted that the Ministry had since collaborated with the Finance Ministry to secure funding, enabling the contractor to return to site.

“Fortunately, the contractor has received some payment and is now fully mobilised. We are optimistic that before the end of this year, significant progress will be visible, and the project will finally be on schedule,” the Deputy Minister added.

Source: Adomonline

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The decision comes after the union observed that the contractor has returned to the site and resumed work on the long-neglected road, which serves as a major route for both commercial and private motorists.

Speaking to Adom News, the Industrial Relations Officer of the GPRTU, Alhaji Abass Imoro, confirmed the suspension of the strike.

“We have suspended the planned industrial action because work has resumed on the road. As a union, our concern was the delay and hardship our members and passengers were facing. Now that the contractor is back on site, we will monitor the progress,” he said.

Alhaji Imoro explained that the decision to call off the strike was made after the union confirmed that construction had restarted on the Ofankor–Nsawam stretch.

The GPRTU had earlier expressed frustration over the poor condition of the road, which they said was endangering lives, damaging vehicles, and causing unnecessary delays for commercial drivers.

The union said it will continue to engage with authorities and monitor the construction closely to ensure that the work is completed on time and meets the necessary standards.

Source: Prince Owusu Asiedu

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The project is now expected to delay by an additional 15 months due to unresolved compensation issues involving persons affected by the project, and the relocation of utility lines belonging to agencies such as the Electricity Company of Ghana and Ghana Water Limited.

According to the latest progress report, the project is 74 per cent complete and cannot meet the revised May 2025 target.

The Chief Resident Engineer, Kwabena Bempong, disclosed that out of 328 structures along the project’s right of way, only 76 owners qualified for compensation, of which 40 have received payments.

He explained that attempts to expedite work stalled after some affected individuals took legal action. Since November last year, the contractor has faced significant financial challenges due to unpaid compensation, preventing further progress.

A section of the  ongoing Pokuase-Nsawam Highway project

Parliamentary Visit

These revelations emerged during a working visit by the Parliamentary Select Committee on Roads and Transport to the project site on Friday. The committee was led by its Chairman and MP for Wassa East, Isaac Adjei Mensah, and the Ranking Member, Kennedy Osei Nyarko.

The delegation also inspected the Obetsebi Lamptey Interchange and the Winneba-Kasoa Road Expansion projects to assess progress and challenges.

Obetsebi Interchange

At the €87-million Obetsebi Interchange, progress on outstanding works has slowed due to government delays in settling interim payment certificates (IPCs). Resident Engineer of Fas Consult, Owusu Sekyere Antwi, stated that although phase two of the project is over 96 per cent complete, an outstanding IPC of about €20 million remains unpaid, hampering timely completion.

In January, Mr. Antwi had projected completion by March 2025, citing final touches such as pavement block laying, asphalt surfacing, road markings, and installation of traffic lights.

Kasoa-Winneba Road Project

At the Kasoa-Winneba site, work is reportedly progressing steadily. The Resident Engineer from ABP Consult revealed that Lot A, which includes interchanges at Sapato, Buduburam, Bereku, Akoti, and two footbridges, is 47 per cent complete. The project is expected to be handed over by March 2027.

MPs Call for Action

Mr. Adjei Mensah urged swift resolution of financial bottlenecks, especially at the Obetsebi site, and called on contractors to collaborate with the Ministry of Works and Housing and the GARID project to complete the drainage infrastructure.

He also called for cooperation among stakeholders to resolve compensation issues delaying the Ofankor-Nsawam and other road projects.

Ranking Member Kennedy Osei Nyarko expressed concern about the frequent postponements of the Ofankor-Nsawam dualisation.

“This is a 33.4-kilometre project that was to be completed in 24 months, but it’s already delayed by almost a year. If delays persist, the cost to the government and taxpayers could nearly double,” he warned.

He called for urgent action to address encroachments and compensation challenges to get the project back on track.

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The gridlock has led to extended travel times, disrupting daily routines and livelihoods.

In interviews with the media, drivers expressed concern about the challenges posed by the road, highlighting the health implications due to dust and persistent traffic congestion.

One driver voiced his frustration, stating, “We have a big problem here. Although the road is under construction, it is taking too long to complete. The government and engineers have not helped the residents.”

“We frequently visit the hospital due to the dust on the road. The traffic is also terrible because the road under construction is too small, affecting vehicles.”

The drivers urged the government to monitor the project’s progress to ensure the contractors meet the timeline.

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Work on the stretch, which forms part of the Accra-Kumasi road network, commenced in 2022 and is expected to last for two years, ending in July 2024. 

The stretch serves as a major arterial road for communities in the Ga West Municipal Assembly, especially Pokuase, Amasaman, Medie, and Sarpeiman, among others. 

It also serves as a vital link for trade between Ghana and its neighbouring landlocked countries – Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, and for transit cargo to move from the country’s ports to those destinations. 

Mr Bempong, addressing the Minister of Roads and Highways, Kwasi Amoako-Atta, during an inspection tour, said work on the project was progressing as expected with the contractor on course to deliver the project on time. 

“Presently, our progress is about 50 per cent and we are hoping that by the end of the year, we would have substantially completed it,” he said. 

Giving details of work done so far, the Chief Resident Engineer said  a lot of concrete works were done, indicating that construction of foot bridges were about 50 per cent complete. 

Additionally, he said they were in the process of completing the two overpasses and an underpass at Medie, Pobiman, Amasaman, adding that, construction work on the three-tier interchange at Nsawam was 20 per cent complete.  

“Nsawam is where we have the three-tier interchange, we are currently about 20 per cent complete, with Pobiman, we’ve done about 70 per cent, Medie is also about 40 per cent and then the railway bridge, that is not an interchange but then, that is also about 50 per cent complete,” he indicated.  

Again, Mr Bempong indicated that all cross culverts were almost complete while 40 per cent of all longitudinal drains had been completed. 

With regards to relocation of utility lines, the Resident Engineer said with the exception of the high tensions, which would be removed in the coming days, all electrical pillions had been relocated.  

“With regards to the water lines, that also has started. The first 2km, they have done quite substantial work and then, wherever we have emergency situations we have done work,” he added.  

Funded by the Government at an estimated cost of over GH¢342k the Ofankor-Nsawam road when completed would have three lanes, service roads, one interchange, two overpasses and an underpass. 

The construction is being undertaken by Maripoma Enterprise Limited, a local construction firm. 

Mr Amoako-Atta, the Minister of Roads and Highways, expressed contentment with the progress of work so far, indicating that Government would ensure that quality work was done.  

While urging the contractor to take all measures to reduce the dust emanating as a result of the construction work, he  appealed to motorists and residents to bare with the contractor, be cautious and reduce speed on the stretch to ensure the safety of all.  

The Minister also toured the Flowerpot Flyover which is 70 per cent complete and the yet to commence dualisation of Adentan-Dodowa Road.  

He was accompanied by some engineers from the Ministry and the Ghana Highways Authority (GHA), including Stephen Jalulah, Deputy Minister of Roads; Mr Abass Awolu, Chief Director of the Ministry; Collins Donkor, Acting Chief Executive, GHA; Samuel Akuaku, Acting Deputy Chief Executive in charge of Administration, GHA; and Lawrence Lamptey, a Deputy Chief Executive in charge of Maintenance, GHA.  

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