Suame Interchange Project Unlikely to be Completed Before 2024 Elections, Says Regional Minister
The Ashanti Regional Minister, Hon. Simon Osei-Mensah, has addressed speculations regarding the completion of the Suame Interchange project before the 2024 elections. He clarified that it is impossible to finish the project within that time frame.
In an interview with Agudey on Nkwantannanso on June 8, Hon. Osei-Mensah emphasised, “The project is meant to last for 36 months, so there is no way we can complete it before the 2024 elections. I have heard people speak through the media making claims that the project will end before the elections.”
He further explained the progress of the project, stating, “We are currently engaged in preparatory work. People will only believe it when they see heavy machinery and contractors on-site, but the truth is that work has already begun.”
According to him, the project officially began on February 10, 2023.
“There are two types of contracts involved – one for design and construction and the other solely for construction.”
“The Suame interchange contract falls under design and construction, which means we had no pre-existing design. After the sod-cutting ceremony in October 2022, the contractor submitted the initial design draft to the Department of Urban Roads and its consultants. Certain changes have been made, and the construction will commence soon.”
In 2022, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo performed the sod-cutting ceremony for the construction of a four-tier interchange at Suame in Kumasi, emphasizing the government’s commitment to enhancing urban mobility in the city and the Ashanti Region as a whole.
