Els: MBN360 News
The government says it has revised the design of the Suame Interchange in Kumasi to a three-tier facility, moving away from earlier indications that only two levels of the project could be completed because of funding constraints.
The clarification by Roads and Highways Minister Governs Kwame Agbodza follows criticism from the Ashanti Caucus of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), which accused the government of “shortchanging” Kumasi by downgrading a four-tier interchange originally planned under the previous administration.
Speaking to journalists on Monday (9 February) Agbodza said the project had not been downgraded but reviewed to a three-tier interchange after traffic projections changed following the construction of the Kumasi Outer Ring Road under the government’s “Big Push” infrastructure programme.
“The only portion of the original design being eliminated is the fourth-tier bridge, as the expropriation impact does not make it worthwhile,”
Cost
Agbodza said, adding that proceeding with the full four-tier design would have required the demolition of several buildings and businesses at an estimated additional cost of about 100 million Ghana cedis.
He said the revised design would still deliver a “first-class concrete road” linking Akom on the N1 highway to Boankra on the N6 while easing congestion in the metropolis.
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The latest position contrasts with earlier remarks by the minister, who said the government lacked funds to execute the full Suame Interchange project and would focus on completing only the first two levels.
In an earlier interview with Woezor TV, Agbodza said the project had been awarded under a loan arrangement by the previous NPP government but that Ghana’s current debt situation had prevented the contractor from drawing down funds.
“What we want to do is to complete a number of the levels. Completing the first two levels will significantly address the traffic situation while we consider the rest in the future when we raise the money,” he said at the time.
Mahama visit
The Suame Interchange project, which includes multiple overpasses at key junctions, is being undertaken by Spain’s Grupo Dizmar and Ghana’s Rango Construction Ltd, with supervision by the Ministry of Roads and Highways through the Department of Urban Roads.
President John Dramani Mahama is expected to visit the Ashanti Region in the coming days to inspect progress on the project and launch additional road works under the Big Push programme, regional officials have said.
The government has positioned the Big Push as a central pillar of its economic recovery strategy, amid mounting pressure to balance infrastructure development with fiscal constraints.
