La Beach Road project completion delay due to compensations – Engineer
The Resident Engineer, La Beach Road Project, Kweku Attakow Diafo, has hinted that the delayed payment of compensation has been a major cause of delay in the completion of the project.
He explained that the project, which began in 2020 and expected to be completed in June 2022, has been delayed because of delayed payment of compensation to affected persons in Teshie whose structures had to be pulled down to make way for the road.
“Some affected persons are yet to be compensated to give way for the construction.
“Fourteen persons out of 62 have started receiving their packages, while land valuation is still ongoing to settle the rest of the affected persons in Teshie. However, majority of affected persons in Nungua have already received their packages and work is progressing steadily there.”
Speaking to the Ghana News Agency, Mr Diafo said the compensations were handled by the Land Valuation Department of the Lands Commission. “They will do the assessment to be presented to the people. So as soon as they do that and the people receive their compensation, we will fast track our work.”
He also indicated that the completion date for the project has been extended to February 2023.
“Resources have been increased in terms of manpower, equipment and finances to enable us complete the project within schedule,” the Resident Engineer said.
He said that the initial work plan which was supposed to be extended to the Independence Square in Accra was reviewed adding that the project would end at OsuAkoAdjei, Kingdom Books and Stationery.
Mr Diafo explained that the $46.8 million allocated for the project was not enough, a major reason why it would not be extended to the independence square.
“There has been a slight change from the original size of the design due to unavailability of funds,” he added.
Meanwhile, some residents of Teshie have complained that the new culvert at TeshieAdoemli as part of the construction was inappropriate.” The size of the culvert is not large enough to contain the huge volumes of water, from adjourning smaller drains anytime it rains, causing flooding of houses along the stretch.”
Mr KoteyDzani, a resident said that he has not experienced any flooding situation for the past years. However, with the reconstruction of the culvert, he now experiences serious flooding anytime it rained, a situation he described as disturbing.
Mr AsafoatseYenkuyena, also a resident in the area, had six of his public bath houses along the gutter collapsed, due to the huge volume of flood water that the new culvert could not contain. “I have lived in this community for 40 years. I haven’t seen floods in my house before”. -GNA
