Contractors working on the construction of four crucial bypasses along the Accra-Kumasi Highway are facing significant challenges due to uncovered pits left behind by illegal miners in local communities.

These pits are impeding the smooth progress of the projects, exacerbated by rainy conditions that worsen the already swampy areas.

The government initiative to construct bypasses at Osino, Anyinam, Enyiresi, and Konongo aims to alleviate congestion and reduce the high incidence of accidents along the Kumasi-Accra Highway.

These projects, spanning various lengths from 6.1km to 13.5km, hold promise for enhancing highway travel efficiency once completed.

However, near the project sites in Osino and Anyinam, ongoing illegal mining activities have led to numerous uncovered pits as miners abandon sites after extracting resources.

Similar challenges persist near the Konongo bypass project, where contractors are forced to fill swampy areas with boulders to facilitate construction.

Team leader of STIM Limited, the consulting firm overseeing the Osino bypass project, Dolittle Kwaku Sintim-Aboagye, highlighted additional hurdles including compensation disputes and adverse weather conditions.

He explained, "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."

Moreover, Sintim-Aboagye pointed out the impact of heavy rainfall, stating, "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."