Causes of Delays and Cost Overrun in Road Construction Project

Delay and cost overrun are common issues facing the construction industry worldwide and are of great concern to the stakeholders in the industry. The key to combating these issues largely depends on their causes. This paper presents the findings of a questionnaire survey carried out to identify the major causes of cost overrun and project delays in road construction projects in Ghana. The three major groups identified were; financial, contractor and equipment and the three most contributing factors falling under these groups are; Delays in payments for work done, under estimation of project cost by contractors and frequent breakdown of equipment. The results of this research should serve as an input data for further research studies and also help stakeholders in the Ghanaian construction industry and others around the world to undertake effective project planning, controlling and monitoring as a means of enhancing project performance and thereby reducing delay and cost overrun.