The Accra-Kumasi Highway project, a flagship national road project in Ghana, has encountered an unexpected obstacle: the storage of contractor equipment on land belonging to a church in Koforidua. The issue was revealed during a site inspection by Roads and Highways Minister Kwame Governs Agbodza. The contractor handling the Kumasi-Konongo Bypass, part of the highway project, attributed persistent drainage problems and road failures to access routes and activities around Second Chance Church, also known as Philadelphia.
The contractor explained that the affected stretch of road had completely failed, necessitating excavation and the addition of nearly two meters of boulders and crushed rock to raise the road. Despite this, drainage challenges persisted due to silted-up cross-drains caused by activities in and around the church premises. The contractor's concerns were brought to light during Minister Agbodza's site inspection, highlighting the impact of the church's equipment storage on the project.
Prophet Stephen Adom Kyei-Duah, founder of Second Chance Church, stated that he was unaware of any complaints regarding the equipment storage. He had been supporting the contractors by allowing them to store equipment on church property and had even instructed his security personnel to monitor the machinery. Adom Kyei-Duah claimed that relations with the workers were cordial, and he regularly tipped the contractor's staff.
The church leader responded to public calls for government intervention, asking what wrongdoing he had committed to warrant demolition of parts of his church. Minister Agbodza instead directed that construction continue while arrangements were made to accommodate the church's activities. Adom Kyei-Duah expressed appreciation for the peaceful resolution, avoiding escalation of the dispute.
The Accra-Kumasi Highway is a heavily used transport corridor in Ghana, carrying commercial and private traffic between the capital and the Ashanti Region daily. Delays or repeated road failures on the bypass section pose a risk of longer travel times and continued disruption for commuters and haulage operators relying on the route.
According to the contractor's briefing to Minister Agbodza, asphalt works on the affected section were expected to begin within a week to a week and a half of the site visit. The contractor cautioned that if drainage and access issues around the church are not resolved before asphalting begins, the road could fail again.
No further timeline for a permanent resolution between the church and the project team has been given. The Minister's intervention has ensured a peaceful resolution, allowing construction to proceed while arrangements are made to accommodate the church's activities. The project's progress will depend on resolving the drainage and access issues around the church.
Key points
- The Accra-Kumasi Highway project faces delays due to drainage issues caused by a church's equipment storage in Koforidua.
- Minister Agbodza intervened to resolve the dispute between the church and the contractor, directing construction to continue while arrangements are made.
- The project's progress depends on resolving drainage and access issues around the church to prevent future road failures.
