Ghana’s Minister for Roads and Highways, Governs Kwame Agbodza, has ordered consultants and road agencies to accelerate the review and approval of construction designs to prevent unnecessary delays on road projects.
During an inspection of Phase One and Two of the Suame Interchange project on Tuesday, September 29, Agbodza criticised the practice of contractors submitting designs and waiting several days or weeks for feedback from consultants and government agencies.
He proposed that design review sessions be scheduled and conducted in a single sitting, allowing contractors, consultants and the relevant road agencies to review proposed changes and resolve technical issues immediately. “We don’t have one week to solve this problem. So call them tomorrow or Thursday or Friday. Do the design review at one meeting. Solve the problem on site,” the minister said.
Agbodza further suggested that temporary facilities could be set up at project sites to allow the relevant stakeholders to review designs and resolve challenges promptly. “In fact, you can just mount a tent here. Mount a tent on the side. Solve the problem on site,” he added.
According to the Minister, conducting design reviews on site gives consultants and other stakeholders a better understanding of the actual conditions and helps make the proposed designs more practical.
The minister’s directive is expected to streamline approval processes and reduce cost overruns on Ghana’s road infrastructure projects.
