The Accra Tema motorway saw more than 136 fatalities in the past 48 months. More individuals continue to daily face the possibility of serious injury or death due to the existing state of the road. According to the Police Motor Traffic and Transport Department, 150 individuals suffered injuries and at least 39 people died in incidents in 2018.
107 incidents were also reported on the roads in 2018. Out of the 75 accidents that were reported in 2019, 91 people were injured, and 36 people lost their lives. Statistics on highway accidents also reveal that of the 80 accidents that were reported in 2020, 22 persons died and 74 were injured. Reports indicate that there were at least 105 motorway accidents in 2021, resulting in 39 deaths and at most, 39 injuries.
The 57 years old road shows more weariness than a human 57 years old. As if screaming for help, it showed signs of fatigue and lay helplessly, as heavy trucks drove by with their huge tyres. This cracked up the large potholes and other problems that had been left over 50 years of neglect and insufficient repairs.
Read Also: cape coast north mp files nomination to contest in ndc parliamentary primaries
The weather has left the current condition of the motorway in a state of flux and it is uncertain what its future holds. The motorway is no longer a fast and easy route to Accra or Tema. It has been ravaged by serious potholes and cracks that drivers must navigate to return home.
Every time they choose to use the Tema–Accra motorway, users face obstacles. On the 19-kilometre stretch between Accra and Tema, drivers must carefully navigate around 400 potholes. This is far more than what it takes to complete a game of chess. The dangers that come with it are much more severe. Tema Motorway, Ghana’s only motorway linking the Volta Region, Tema metropolis and Togo by road to the capital of the country. Today’s motorway is like a circus. Passengers bump up every second the car hits a crack.
After years of public outcry over the poor condition of the motorway, many promises have been made to improve it in the past.
Recently, Roads Minister Kwasi Amoako Atta claimed that the motorway would be redeveloped to become a 10-lane urban highway, with 5 new interchanges. Potholes continue to develop every day and are being repaired with bitumen. According to Empire Parking Lot Services (a construction and repairs company based in the United States), it is cheaper to repair asphalted roads over concrete ones, but it is technically not safe to repair concrete floors with bitumen since these are completely different materials.
Efforts to get the Roads Ministry and the Urban Roads department to comment on the issues proved futile. However, one thing is clear, the Tema-Accra motorway continues to deteriorate, posing serious threats to the thousands of Ghanaians who ply it daily.
SOURCE: Myjoyonline
