WIAWSO-BENKYEMA ROAD REPAIRED (PAGE 20)

THE 44.4 kilometre Sefwi Wiawso-Benkyema Junction road rehabilitation project has been completed to open up the Sefwi area.
The project, undertaken at a cost of 30,509,803.71 euros and over GH¢10 million, was funded with a mixed credit facility of 35 per cent grant from the Dutch Government and 56 per cent Export Credit Agency (ECA) covered loan.
The government supplemented with nine per cent of the cost of the project.
The original contract period for the double surface dressing road was 28 months but was extended by six-and-a-half months making the total completion period 34.5 months.
A 20-metre bridge has been constructed on the Sui River in addition to 90 cross culverts and 140 access culverts while 5,712 metres of u-drains have been laid with 5,782.17 metres of stone pitched drains also laid.
With the construction of the road, the travel time between Sefwi Wiawso and Benkyema Junction, which was four hours before the road construction, is now 35 minutes.
It is on record that the contractors for the road project, Messrs Interbeton BV Group Company of Royal BAM Group, constructed the first five kilometres, starting from the Tano River Bridge to Domeabra on discount.
The Sefwi Wiawso-Benkyema Road project is the first phase of the 125.4-kilometre Sefwi Wiawso-Oseikojokrom road rehabilitation project.
The road passes through settlements such as Boako, Anyinabrim, Punikrom, Sefwi Camp, Dantano, Domeabra, Mile 82, Suiano, Afrimkrom, Asafo and Asawinso.
A team of engineers of the Ghana Highway Authority (GHA) from Accra and Takoradi as well as those of the contractors, Interbeton BV, have undertaken a substantial completion inspection tour of the road project prior to its takeover by the GHA.
Briefing the team before the inspection, the Resident Engineer of the GHA in charge of the project, Mr Shelter Yao Lotsu, said the major challenge of the project had been the unpredictable weather and excessive rainfall in the area, which made it almost impossible to carry out construction activities for weeks.
He said most of the gravel deposits in the area were lying under existing cocoa farms that had to be destroyed to facilitate the extraction of the material resulting in huge payment of compensation to the affected farmers.
Mr Lotsu said the impatience of the farmers in demanding sometimes immediate payment, posed serious challenge to the project team resulting in some instances, demonstrations and lockouts of the contractor’s yard.
He stated that the district assembly occasionally assisted in controlling such volatile situations when they occurred.
The Deputy Chief Executive of the GHA in charge of maintenance, Mr John Kwasi Danso, told the Daily Graphic after the inspection that the work was satisfactory as it was done in accordance with the project specifications.
The Project Manager of Interbeton BV, Mr Joost Keessen, said the contractors had some difficulties in the implementation of the project but at the same time had learnt something from the challenge.
Mr Keessen said money spent on a branch road to the Sefwi Asafo Hospital was well spent, since the road to the hospital was very bad.
He stressed the need for regular maintenance of the entire road, adding that “maintenance is very important so the GHA pays special attention to that”.
The Director of Contracts of GHA, Mr M.A. Abbey, said “we are very impressed about the quality of work done”.
The General Manager of Interbeton BV, Mr Albert J. Van Warmerdam, said “we are happy and proud of the whole project”.