BY : DARI KWABENA MATHEW (+233555395925)
The 19-kilometre concrete Accra-Tema Motorway continues to deteriorate and pose a grave danger to motorists.
Being concrete pavement, it is more expensive to construct than asphalt or other bituminous surface roads, but it is more economical to operate over the long term. It is longer lasting, stronger, and requires minimal maintenance.
Ghana’s first President Dr. Kwame Nkrumah opened first stretch of Accra-Tema Motorway.
On November 30 1965, he opened the first stretch of the Accra-Tema Motorway.
A visit by Pulse.com.gh to the motorway shows the deteriorating state of the 56-year-old motorway, potholes, bitumen patches, erosion and hardened lumps from spilled concrete are still posing a danger and discomfort to drivers and passengers who passes on it on a daily basis.
A search team also discovered that most of the bridges on the motorway are in bad shape thereby exposing motorists and pedestrians to danger especially the Adjei Kojo under-bridge and the Kanewu junction on the motorway which has turned into a ‘trotro’ road for commercial vehicles forgetting that it’s a highway.
The 19-kilometre highway is currently in a deplorable state as it is covered with deep potholes and road markings have been wiped off by the thousands of vehicles that ply the road.
Lack of repair works on one of the major roads motorists always use is the Accra-Tema motorway.
The state of the motorway can be described as criminal negligence of the highest order on the part of those responsible for its maintenance.
Also, the creation of illegal access routes to join the Accra-Tema motorway by suspected drivers along the stretch recently has increased the surge in vehicular traffic.
More than 25 illegal routes connecting the road on the 19km motorway have been created.
The starting point of these illegal routes begins at the Adjei Kojo Underbridge, Abbatoir, Community 18 extension, through to KICC, Coca-Cola, Trassaco, Manet, and tollbooth area among others which also happens to be a breeding ground for illegal diversion by motorists.
Most of these illegal diversions have resulted in severe carnages on the highway, especially at the Adjei Kojo Underbridge exit route which has now become a deathtrap.
It is no surprise that many drivers have gained notoriety for various unpardonable offenses on the motorway.
Present and past governments have neglected the maintenance of the motorway.
In June this year, the Roads and Highways Minister, Kwasi Amoako-Attah, revealed that the 19-kilometre highway that links Tema to Accra will be expanded into a 10-lane highway to ease traffic.
