Sofoline Interchange Now Death Trap

Sections of the yet-to-be completed Sofoline Interchange in Kumasi, considered one of the biggest in West Africa has begun falling apart, following recent heavy rains which hit Kumasi and its environs.

The $150-million project, which was started by the erstwhile Kufuor administration and is being financed by the Government of Ghana, has started deteriorating as some portions are falling on to the road after several hours of torrential rain.

Officers from the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) rushed to the scene to save the situation.

The project, which has exceptional features such as underpass, where police station and lavatory have been constructed, and being executed by the Chinese Construction Company, China Geo-Engineering Corporation, has stalled as a result of the non-payment of funds by the government.

A concrete slab on the shoulders of the stretch, which connects Kwadaso and adjoining suburbs, has also become weak, with deep cracks all over it.

In the early hours of Wednesday, the Ashanti Regional Police Command, warned motorists to use alternative routes, as their safety could not be guaranteed.

The project is expected to ease road traffic congestion in Kumasi and enhance transportation in the Ashanti Region upon completion. It was started in 2007, and should have been completed in 2010, but had delayed for several years due to the variation on the design and delay by the government to pay the contractors.

The $150-million project involves works such as the construction of the two interchanges at Sofoline and the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, reconstruction of an 11-kilometer six-lane, and five underpasses for pedestrians.