The Ofankor-Nsawam road project is progressing steadily, days after the resumption of works by the contractor.Work stalled for about eight months following non-payment to the contractor, a situation which sparked agitation by drivers, commuters and residents over the deplorable condition of the stretch.Maripoma Enterprise Limited, the contractor, however, returned to site after receiving payment of $77 million from government about two weeks ago.A visit to the project site by The Ghanaian Times yesterday, revealed renewed vigour of activities, with teams of workers engaged on different sections of the 33.4-kilometre road.At Toman, iron rods were being laid to pave the way for the pouring of concrete at the bus stop space.Similarly, at the ACP Junction near John Teye, workers were completing retaining walls, while at Macedonia Junction, construction was progressing steadily on the overpass.Most of the potholes along the stretch had been patched to allow smoother passage of vehicles while the main works continued.The Resident Engineer on the project, Mr Thomas David Arthur, explained that operations had restarted around "Kilometre 11+000" and, although the pace of work was initially slow, it would gather momentum in the coming weeks as equipment and materials were fully mobilised to site.The rehabilitation of the Ofankor-Nsawam road is estimated at $346.5 million and commenced in July 2022 with original scheduled completion in 2024.
However, due to a number of challenges, including interruptions, the completion date was extended to May 2025.The project, which forms part of the Accra-Kumasi highway (National Route 6), is a critical international corridor linking Ghana's capital to Nsawam, Kumasi and the Sahelian region, including Burkina Faso and Mali.
For several months, work had come to a halt, leading to the development of large potholes, some of which widened into gullies, while stagnant pools of water collected in others.The situation made travelling not only uncomfortable but also dangerous, often causing damage to vehicles and contributing to frequent accidents.For commuters and transport operators, the resumption of work comes as a huge relief.A commercial driver, Mr Emmanuel Ofori, who plies the Nsawam-Accra route, told The Ghanaian Times that the poor condition of the road had increased their maintenance costs."Sometimes we spend more time at the mechanic than on the road.
The potholes were so deep that you could not avoid them.
