Govt opens fresh bidding for Volivo Bridge

The government has opened a fresh bidding for the construction of the 540-metre Volivo Bridge over the Volta River more than a decade after an earlier procurement exercise collapsed without construction commencing.

The cable-stayed bridge is to connect Asutsuare in the Greater Accra Region to Dofor Adidome near Juapong in the Volta Region to facilitate the movement of people and goods.

The government is targeting the commencement of construction towards the end of this year or early 2027.

A Japanese consortium comprising JFE Engineering Corporation, Shimizu Corporation and Toa Corporation emerged as the sole bidder, submitting a joint bid security of $2.3 million for the project.

Its technical proposal was opened for evaluation, while the financial proposal remained sealed pending the outcome of the technical assessment.

The evaluation committee, comprising experts from the Ghana Highway Authority (GHA) and project consultants, is expected to complete the assessment and submit its report within seven days.

At the opening of the bid in Accra yesterday, the Minister of Roads and Highways, Governs Kwame Agbodza, said the bridge project was the brainchild of President John Dramani Mahama, and commended the government and people of Japan for their support.

He gave an assurance that the bridge, when completed, would be the “most beautiful engineering bridge piece on the landscape of Ghana”.

He said the project, which dates back to 2015/2016, suffered setbacks after an earlier bidding process and the selection of a contractor failed to translate into construction.

“A contractor was actually selected, but somehow we could not execute the project and so the whole process fell apart, and we all were almost giving up,” Mr Agbodza said.

He attributed its revival to President Mahama’s state visit to Japan and subsequent engagements with the Japanese authorities.

“But then the President, on a state visit to Japan, working with his counterparts, managed to bring the project back on track,” he said.

He said cooperation between Ghana, Japan and the project consultants had helped fast-track preparations for the fresh bidding exercise.

The Roads Minister said the government had already begun constructing the approach roads to the bridge, stressing the need to ensure that the main structure was delivered.

“The government of Ghana is already building the approaches to the bridge, but what are we going to do if we build all the approaches and then there’s no bridge? Then we now need to go and buy pontoons or something like that. But that is not the vision of President Mahama. He wants us to connect both sides of the river with the bridge,” he said.

He also commended the participating contractors, saying he had met many of them during an earlier visit to Japan.

The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Highway Authority (GHA), Mallam Issah Ishak, said six contractors initially expressed interest in the project, but only one bid was received.

He said two Ghanaian contractors failed to meet the qualification requirements, while three of the remaining contractors submitted a joint bid, leaving the Japanese consortium as the sole bidder.