President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on Monday, 2nd December 2019, expressed satisfaction with the progress of work currently taking place on the Pokuase Interchange.
With the project commencing in April 2018, and the interchange originally proposed as a 3-tier single-point urban interchange, the contractor, after undertaking a value engineering assessment, proposed to construct a 4-tier Stack Interchange, which was approved by the Ministry for Roads and Highways.
Thus far, road works, including drainage and pavement works, are far advanced, with most of the local roads identified for construction being concluded.
Additionally, some extra routes which became necessary after a review of the works are currently far advanced and will be completed before the end of 2019, with over 10 kilometres of local community roads being completed within the catchment area of the interchange.
The contractor, Zhongmei Engineering Group Ltd indicated that 4 kilometres of asphalt dual carriageway have been completed for the Awoshie section of the project, with landscaping, street lighting, road signs, pedestrian facilities currently underway.
Also, 1 kilometre of asphalt single carriageway has been completed for the Kwabenya section of the project, with pedestrian facilities, and retaining wall constructions being undertaken.
The supervising engineer on site told President Akufo-Addo that drainage works, retaining walls, earthworks are being constructed on the Accra to Kumasi road approaches to the interchange, in addition to the 2.8 kilometres of various sizes of outfall storm drains constructed as part of the project to date.
Touching on the interchange itself, the engineer revealed that 99% of pile foundation works have been completed. The progress to date for the various elements are as follows: 54% of all pile caps completed; 28% of Piers completed; 20% of Bridge Abutment completed; and 5% of Bridge Deck under construction.
He noted also that GRIDCo’s 330kv transmission line has been relocated, and 98% of ECG’s network, which was impacted by the project, has also been relocated. Also, about 400 metres of GWCL 300mm water mains have been relocated.
Dome Kwabenya
At Dome Kwabenya, President Akufo-Addo inspected work currently ongoing on the 5.5 kilometre Kwabenya Roundabout to Taifa Road.
This project was awarded in October 2017 to M/s. GHACOS Limited. The Contract sum is GH₵ 37,457,021.43 with funding from the Road Fund.
The scope of works involved the construction of 2.6 kilometres of road from the Kwabenya Roundabout to Taifa Nkatie Burger Junction; comprising of 1.6 kilometres of dual carriageway merging into a 1-kilometre single carriageway.
The construction also involves the construction of the 4.3-kilometre section of the Dome-Kitase Road with associated drainage works.
Thus far, the 2.6-kilometre road from Kwabenya Roundabout to Taifa Nkatei Burger junction is substantially completed with 300 metres of the 2.5m x 4.2m drain in place. The Construction of an outfall storm drain of size varying from 1.5m x 1.5m to 1.5m x 2.5m to logically discharge stormwater to the outfall is currently being constructed.
Additionally, the first 1.8 kilometres of the Dome-Kitase Road has been sealed, and the contractor is steadily constructing drains along the remaining stretch of the road.
The road is expected to be completed by June 2020.