Roads Ministry clarifies status of PTC Interchange Project

The Ministry of Roads and Highways has indicated that a recent video circulated on social media by Skyy Power 93.5FM, the contractor working on the PTC Interchange Project, has abandoned work due to unpaid government debts.

In a press statement issued on Wednesday, the Ministry said the video misrepresents the situation and offered updates on the project’s progress.

The PTC Interchange, which began in December 2020 as part of Ghana’s Sinohydro Master Project Support Agreement with China, was initially scheduled to be completed in June 2023.

However, construction was halted in December 2022, when the contractor suspended work due to the government’s debt restructuring programme. By then, the project was 80 per cent complete.

According to the Ministry, in September 2024, the contractor raised safety concerns, requesting permission to dismantle formwork on the 3-tier interchange due to theft of scaffolding, rotten wooden formwork and corroded iron rods.

Citing Clause 4.8 of the Conditions of Contract, which mandates the contractor to ensure site safety, the Ministry granted permission for dismantling to prevent potential accidents.

“After the successful completion of the Debt Exchange Programme, the government, through the Ministry of Finance, is negotiating with each of our partners to get the contractors back on site and this includes the PTC Interchange Project,” it stated.

The Ministry, highlighting recent successes in these negotiations, noted that work has already resumed on projects such as Phase II of the Obetsebi Lamptey Interchange, the Tema-Akosombo and Tema-Aflao Road projects.