The Director of Urban Roads, Ing. James Amoo-Gottfried, has assured the public that the government is fully committed to the upkeep of the recently opened Flower Pot Interchange.
This project, which aims to ease traffic congestion and improve urban mobility in the Greater Accra Region, was officially inaugurated by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Tuesday, November 19, with a cost of GH¢677,839,999.5.
However, the opening of the interchange has raised concerns about its maintenance and the potential misuse of the surrounding areas.
Greater Accra Regional Minister, Daniel Nii Kwartei Titus Glover, warned against the erection of unauthorized structures like kiosks and hawker stalls, which could affect both the functionality and visual appeal of the flyover.
In response, Ing. Amoo-Gottfried explained the government’s approach to maintaining the interchange’s integrity.
Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show with Bernard Avle, he emphasized the importance of collaboration with private partners for the interchange’s long-term maintenance, cleanliness, and proper use of the spaces below.
He clarified that once the project is near completion, a defect notification period will begin.
During this time, the contractor will be responsible for addressing any defects that arise within a year at their own expense. After this period, the government will implement a maintenance regime to ensure any defects are promptly dealt with.
Regarding the space beneath the interchange, Ing. Amoo-Gottfried mentioned that the government has plans to activate it for positive use, and they have placed advertisements seeking interested managers to oversee the area in compliance with permissible uses.
He also anticipated private sector involvement to help manage and maintain the space effectively.
“When the project is substantially complete, we have what we call the defect notification period which the contractor will have responsibility over the next year. Per any defect that occurs, the contractor will have to fix it at his own cost.
“In terms of other maintenance, we will put a regime in place to ensure that any defect that occurs will be fixed after the defect notification period of one year.
“With regards to selling and hawking around, you will realise that we have created a lot of spaces underneath that we want to activate and use positively. We have also advertised in the newspapers to seek managers who are interested in managing the space for us based on the permissible uses and I am expecting some private involvement in managing and maintaining the spaces underneath.”