Two major projects in Takoradi stall for months

There are fears that the residents of Sekondi-Takoradi metropolis are missing out on two major infrastructural developments.

The construction of a first three-tier interchange and the Takoradi Market Circle redevelopment project have both stalled.

In September 2020, Vice-President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia cut the sod for the construction of the first three-tier interchange in Takoradi at the Kwame Nkrumah Roundabout.

The interchange, expected to ease traffic flow considerably, is in fulfilment of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) 2016 campaign promise to provide the Metropolis with better road networks.

The Takoradi interchange would bring the number of interchanges the government started in its first term, comprising the Tema, Obetsebi Lamptey, Pokuase, Nungua, and Tamale interchanges, to six.

According to the Vice President, now flagbearer, he indicated, the interchange was part of the Master Project Support Agreement between the Government of Ghana and the Sinohydro Corporation, with the first phase covering 441 km of roads and two interchanges: the Tamale and Takoradi interchanges.

Actual construction work on the interchange did not start immediately until August 2021. With a stipulated schedule of 30 months, the expectation was to ensure completion by July 2023.

Work on the project continued steadily until an abrupt halt in January 2023. This was attributed to conditions associated with Ghana’s IMF deal.

As the project is being financed through the Sinohydro Master Project Support agreement between Ghana and the Chinese government undertaken by Sinohydro Corporation, one of the major conditions from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to Ghana for a bailout was to put all barter projects on hold thus affecting the PTC interchange construction.



The Western Regional Minister, Kwabena Okyere Darko Mensah, who also serves as the Member of Parliament for Takoradi, assured that the contractors will resume work by September 2023.

This has yet to materialize. Since then, the ramifications have been enormous, as commuters and business people around the construction site have to grapple with dust daily.

This makes commuting around the central business district very tedious. Vehicular traffic builds up even during non-rush hours, and motorists have to endure the deteriorated road, which impacts them adversely with frequent breakdowns coupled with low returns.

According to sources, the ongoing construction of some six selected roads in Sekondi and Takoradi and an interchange at the Paa Grant Roundabout, which commenced in March 2022 completion, would have merged with the PTC interchange project.

Similarly, the reconstruction of Takoradi Market Circle, another important project in the Sekondi-Takoradi metropolis, has come to a halt.

These two projects are important and will play a crucial role in influencing voters in the 2024 general elections. The people of Takoradi anticipate that these projects will be completed soon.