The Chief Resident Engineer of the Obetsebi Lamptey Interchange project, Ing. Owusu Sekeyere Antwi, has disclosed that phase II of the major road project has been suspended due to funding delays caused by outstanding payments owed to the contractor.
Speaking to the media on Saturday, May 3, Ing. Antwi revealed that while only a few works remain to be completed, construction activities have slowed significantly because of resource constraints.
“We are left with a few things to be done, but the contractor has slowed down a little because of resources. In terms of outstanding IPCs, we have over 20 million euros to pay, but the Minister of Finance last year did some payments which were not paid out of the IPCs, so we need to balance all those things to be able to know how much we owe the contractor,” he stated.
His comments come amid growing concern over delays in the delivery of key road infrastructure projects across the country. The Obetsebi Lamptey Interchange is considered a critical link in Accra’s urban road network, expected to ease vehicular congestion in the Greater Accra Region.
Meanwhile, contractors working on the project have appealed to the government for expedited financial intervention to prevent further disruption.
A parliamentary oversight committee also pledged to engage the relevant ministries to help resolve the bottlenecks and ensure timely completion.
In a related development, Chief Resident Engineer for the Ofankor-Nsawam Road Project, Ing. Kwabena Bempong, confirmed that the project has also experienced a 15-month delay.
Initially set for completion in July 2024, the road project is now expected to be finalised sometime between mid-2025 and late 2025.
Ing. Bempong attributed the delay to two key challenges, namely the delays in compensating affected residents and difficulties in relocating utility infrastructure along the construction path.
