Work on Oforikrom-Asokwa carriageway progress at slow pace

Constructional work on the €37million dual carriageway from Oforikrom to Asokwa in Kumasi was progressing little by little.
Former President John Agyekum Kufuor cut the sod for work to commence on the project on Saturday June 21, 2008 but almost seven months down the line, the contractor M/S Shinsung Engineering and Construction Limited from South Korea, was yet to achieve any meaningful feat, with regards to earthworks.
Some residents of Kumasi, who are anxious to see the completion of the project, have expressed concerns about the slow pace of the project, which was expected to be undertaken within two years. Completion date has been slated for June 2010.
Last Friday, when the Daily Graphic visited the project site, the contractor was working on the first culvert for the creation of an access road.
It was observed that earthworks done on the access road was yet to reach one kilometre.
Some officers of the contractor, M/S Shinsung Engineering and Construction Limited from South Korea told the Daily Graphic that they were currently working on diversions and relocations and that they were still in the process of installing their plants.
The officers said they have finished demolishing all the structures in the right of way of the project and that the access road under construction was to help fill some of the swamps in the area as well as construct a bridge over the Aboabo river.
They mentioned that actual construction works which comprised of about 90percent concrete works and 10percent earthworks was yet to start.
The €37million dual carriageway from Oforikrom to Asokwa is being jointly funded by the Government of Ghana and France as part of government's move to handle the traffic situation in the city of Kumasi for easy vehicular movement.
The entire project includes the construction of an interchange at the Timber Gardens at Asokwa and improvement of the Lake road.
The construction of the Oforikrom-Asokwa Bypass followed the completion of the Sokoban Wood Village project, which is a key component of the project where wood workers at Anloga (who were carrying out their activities in the right of way for the road works) are to be relocated to give way for the construction of the road.
There would be a construction of another interchange at the Anloga traffic lights.
There are plans to develop the Kumasi arterial road network and that roads earmarked for expansion in Kumasi are the Sunyani road from the Komfo Anokye roundabout to Abuakwa, which works had already started and scheduled for completion in 2010.
The Mampong road from the Suame roundabout to Ahwia and the Western Bypass from Sofoline to Santasi roundabout. The rest are the southern Bypass from Santasi roundabout through Ahodwo roundabout to Timber Gardens and the Eastern bypass from Timber Gardens to Oforikrom junction.
The outer ring road is a 70 kilometre road around the city which would divert non Kumasi bound traffic away from the city.