Illegal mining activities disrupt Accra-Kumasi Highway project

Contractors working on the four bypasses on the Accra-Kumasi Highway are facing challenges due to huge pits left uncovered by illegal miners in communities where the projects are being done.

These uncovered pits are hindering the progress of the projects as contractors have to deal with swampy areas with the rains worsening the situation.

The government is constructing four bypasses at Osino, Anyinam, Enyiresi and Konongo to address congestion and the high incidence of crashes on the Kumasi-Accra Highway.

The projects comprise 11.6km at Osino, 6.1km at Anyinam, 10.6km at Enyiresi and a 13.5km Konongo bypass.

Once completed, the projects are expected to reduce highway travel time.

Close to the Osino and Anyinam project sites, some illegal mining activities continue, with some miners leaving pits uncovered after extracting the resources.

The situation is not different from the Konongo bypass project site and contractors are filling the swampy areas with boulders.

The team leader of STIM Limited, the consulting firm for the Osino bypass, Dolittle Kwaku Sintim-Aboagye, mentioned compensation payments and adverse rainfall as other challenges affecting the work progress.

“We have some mining companies and they have their terrace ponds and our alignments go through these terrace ponds so it is either we shift the ponds or go through them and we decided to go through them and that meant the mining companies must decommission these terrace ponds and that is also taking some time, and it is affecting us.

“Again, this place is a farming area and so there are compensation issues but the Ghana Highways Authority and the ministry are helping us. And also, the rains have become more severe than usual and that is affecting us.”