Sealing of Abokobi-Pantang road commences

Residents, businesses and other road users of the Abokobi-Pantang road can now breathe good air and go about their daily routines with joy and ease as the tarring of the road finally started.

The Contractor working on the road project which was awarded and commenced in 2016 vacated site and never returned to continue following the coming into office of new a government.

It has, since then, been a major concern for the Assembly and the Member of Parliament, Hon. Sarah Adwoa Safo, as efforts to trace the contractor proved futile. However, after aggressive pursuit and lobbying at the Ministry of Roads and Highways and Department of Urban Roads, a new contractor was engaged to continue the project in 2020.

The bad nature of the road, especially the dusty state, had been a source of agitations by residents in and around Abokobi, resulting in demonstrations.

The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Hon. Janet Tulasi Mensah, on behalf of the Assembly and the Member of Parliament, had on those occasions, called for calm and assured the residents that the Government was making frantic efforts to tar the road and subsequently asphalt it.

On Thursday, 25th February, primer sealing (which is the preparatory stage before the addition of bitumen or coal tar) of the stretch from the Pantang Police Post to Agbogba Junction commenced but was halted due to the rains. Work resumed on Friday and is expected to continue through Abokobi to Pantang Village.

The Municipal Urban Roads Engineer (MURE), Aboagye Foster, who spoke to GEMANEWS after inspecting the ongoing works, disclosed that the rehabilitation of the Abokobi-Pantang road was reawarded to a new Contractor, NEW MODERN GHANA Company Limited, which began working before the 2020 elections.

"As you know, when it's approaching elections and you start any project, the assumption by most people is that it is for votes, but you can see that it didn't happen like that in our Municipality. I know some residents got alarmed, saying it's all campaign promises and after elections the road will be abandoned."

"Gravel work on the road was completed in December but it was left with primer sealing and that's what we're currently doing and we're all witnessing it", he further stated.

He gave the scope of the ongoing project and revealed that the contractor was only following the timelines and contractual arrangements which resulted in some delays in sealing the road.

"A time frame had been set for the Contractor from the commencement of the project which they are being guided by to fix the road. The stretch of road been fixed is about 3km which begins from the Police Station through Abokobi to Pantang Village. The primer sealing started yesterday but they faced some challenges due to the rainfall. The Bitumen is being prepared to aid them continue with the primer sealing", the Ga East Municipal Urban Roads Engineer explained.

"The targeted time for the primer sealing to be completed is four days. When the primer sealing is completed, there will another phase of sealing, the first sealing, to cover the primer and solidify it.

Ing. Aboagye Foster revealed that plans were being put in place to make do asphalt overlay to make the road secured and last longer.

He commended the Contractor for the speedy but good work being done and assured residents of the Assembly and the Hon. MP's commitment to ensure roads in the Municipality are improved.