World Bank orders change of Asafo interchange contractor for non-performance

THE World Bank has asked the Ministry of Transportation to look for a new contractor to complete the Asafo Market Interchange in Kumasi.
This has become necessary following the rejection by the Bank of new estimates quoted by Sarroch Gelfi, the Italian firm working on the project.
Although the exact amount quoted by the contractors has not been disclosed, the work remaining to be carried out includes the asphalting of the interchange and the provision of street and traffic lights.
This came to light when the acting Minister of Transportation, Felix Owusu Agyepong and his deputy, Magnus Opare Asamoah, inspected the project last Friday.
They were accompanied by the Deputy Ashanti Regional Minister, Osei Assibey Antwi and officials of the Ministry and Ghana Highways Authority. The inspection was part of a three-day working tour of major road projects in the Ashanti and Brong-Ahafo regions.
The estimated ¢128 billion Interchange project, which stated in 2004, was expected to have been completed in December 2006. However frequent work stoppages resulting from workers unrest and some changes in the project design have combined to increase the original cost of ¢76 billion, with only 75 per cent of work completed.
In view of the latest development however the completion date is now uncertain.
According to Sekyere Owusu Antwi, Resident Engineer of the project, the appointment of a new contractor will soon be advertised.
Mr. Agyepong expressed the hope that the advertisement would start early to expedite the work to avoid further delay which might cause public disaffection against the government.
The project is the first by the construction firm Sarroch Gelfi in the country and involves the construction of railway overpass bridges and four ramps and pedestrian and traffic management facilities.
There will also be a steel footbridge over the railway to link Roman Hill to Adum.
Earlier, Mr Agyapong had inspected the 47 kilometre Accra-Kumasi trunk road from Asuna to Asaman, and the 41.7 kilometre stretch from Konongo to Kumasi.
The Asuna-Asaman portion is estimated at 15.9 million dollars, funded by the Ghana Government, while the Konongo – Kumasi stretch is estimated at 40 million dollars to be funded with a grant by the Danish International Development Agency.
The Thirty-nine kilometers of the Konongo-Kumasi portion will be single carriage-way from Konongo to Ejisu and then a dual–carriageway stretching, from Ejisu through Fumesua to the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Kumasi.
A 15 – 26 kilometre by–pass, at Nkawkaw which runs through a virgin terrain, estimated at 11.215 million dollar was also inspected.
The contractor, Sonitra, gave assurance that the work which started in September 2005 would be completed in August this year while the Nkawkaw by-pass, will now extend to 2008. SOURCE-GHANAIAN TIMES