KIA Terminal Three project to be completed in April 2018
Work on Terminal Three (T3) of the Kotoka International Airport is 60 per cent done and is expected to be completed in eight months.
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The $274 million project, being executed by MAPA Construction Limited, a Turkish company, is expected to be handed over to the government on April 29, 2018.
The Project Manager, Nana Yaw Ametepe, made this known to a delegation from the African Development Bank (AfDB) led by its President, Mr Akinwumi Adesina, as well as the Minister of Aviation, Ms Cecilia Dapaah, and the Minister of Finance, Mr Ken Ofori-Atta.
Mr Ametepe said by the middle of September, work on the facade, followed by tiling and ceiling would be executed before the installation of screening and scanning equipment at the terminal.
The AfDB President, who was on a three-day state visit to the country, described the quality of work done on the project, being partly funded by the bank, as fantastic and said beside providing jobs, the project would also help the Ghanaian economy and regional integration.
He commended the workers for working hard and sticking to time.
The visit was for the AfDB President to discuss the government’s development agenda and priority programmes and ascertain the impact of the AfDB Group’s interventions in the country.
Mr Adesina also visited the Cocoa Processing Company in Tema.
The AfDB’s ongoing portfolio in Ghana currently consists of 10 projects with a total commitment of US$410.95m and cumulative disbursement of US$135.12m. In addition, the bank has a number of commercial projects under its private window.
Fruitful visit
Mr Ofori-Atta described the AfDB President’s visit as a fruitful one, and stated that the cooperation had resulted in projects, including the Terminal Three.
“We talked about aviation, agriculture, fishing and energy. With the type of performance he has seen here, I am sure we will get more funding for our projects,” he said.
Ms Dapaah was also hopeful that the new terminal would be completed on time and be opened to travellers next year.
“The project is in line with the President’s vision to make the country and for that matter the Kotoka International Airport the aviation hub of West Africa, and Ghana a destination of choice,” she said.
She stated that there was a maintenance schedule to ensure that when it is opened, it would be constantly maintained.
On increasing traffic to the airport, Ms Dapaah said the government was working to ensure that Ghana got at least a quarter of the sub-region’s estimated 150 million travellers as Ghana was strategic, with its democratic credentials, peace and its hospitality as trump card.
The T3
The T3 is expected to take pressure off the existing two terminals, improve the existing on-ground infrastructure in line with growing international travel demand, and position the country as an attractive aviation hub of the sub-region.
The new terminal will have the capacity to process 1,250 passengers at peak hours, a large retail and commercial area, three business lounges, six fixed links and seven air bridges expandable to eight, and parking space with capacity to handle more than 700 cars.
