KASOA – WINNEBA ROAD DUALIZATION PROJECT, STOP DIGGING BOTTOMLESS PITS AND GET TO WORK
The update was made known when the sector Minister, Hon. Francis Assenso-Boakye inspected construction works on the 23rd of April, 2024 as part of a working visit to some parts of the central region to assess the progress of projects.
The Minister assured that his ministry would work with contractors to ensure that significant portions of the dualization project are completed and opened to traffic.
Upon completion, it is expected to ease vehicular traffic congestion and resolve unacceptable travel time to boost tourism, education, and commerce.
Scheduled for completion in 36 months, the Minister expressed satisfaction with the work being executed by the contractors, Nag Fairmount Company Limited and MM Delivery Company Limited.
He said the two contractors had assured him they would work diligently to meet the estimated completion timeline, and was optimistic that they would live up to their promise.
The project, estimated to cost $85,328,761, and funded by the Government, involves the construction of interchanges/flyovers at Sapato, Akoti, Budumburam, Awutu, and Winneba Junction. When completed, it will connect Accra to Winneba, Cape Coast, and the Western Region.
As praiseworthy as this may sound, as someone who lives along that stretch and uses the road every day, many things are currently not being done right, in my humble opinion. Many residents, commuters, and motorists would side with me on this one.
One would not be far from the truth when you say the contractors are on-site working day and night. Yes, they are. Nonetheless, the fact remains that many users of the road are angry, period!
Many things are not being done right so far as this construction work is concerned; however, in this article, I would like to focus my attention on one thing: the failure on the part of the contractors to create alternative access routes for commuters and other road users before the commencement of the exercise.
Since I moved into my house last year, I have been a regular user of the Kasoa – Winneba road, especially from the Gomoa Akotsi area to Accra; therefore, I have a fair knowledge of the kind of stress commuters go through before and after the commencement of the project.
Before the commencement of the construction work, vehicular traffic around Budumburam Camp had always been terrible, and so the decision by the government to rehabilitate and upgrade it to a dual carriageway was a relief to residents and commuters along that stretch.
Though I am not a technical person when it comes to road construction, it is common knowledge that before a project such as the Kasoa – Winneba one begins, various alternative access routes would have been created to make way for users to continue their routine businesses without stress. Disappointingly, in this particular one, it is not the case. No provision whatsoever was provided.
Every day, we had to spend numerous hours in an attempt just to crawl from Fetteh Kakraba through Camp. The vehicular traffic is so terrible that sometimes one could spend one or two hours standing at the same place.
Are we serious as a nation?
One can just imagine the collateral damage these sorts of delays can have on the economy of the nation, not to mention the negative health implications. We are contented you are upgrading our road, but then must you put many lives in danger due to someone's recklessness?
To get to work on time without having to encounter more interruptions, one needs to work up as early as 3 am. How are you able to keep up this trend when you often get home as late as 10-11 pm? It only leads to sleep deprivation.
Sleep deprivation occurs when a person does not get enough sleep to sustain their health and well-being. Research has shown that failure to sleep well could culminate in many health and mental conditions, such as impaired mental functioning, reduced immune functionality, obesity, and cardiovascular diseases among others.
Besides, failure to sleep well can gravely affect one’s productivity at work. e knowledge.
Security around the Kasoa-Winneba stretch is nothing to write home about; thus, for anyone to leave home around 3 am and return as late as 11 pm puts many road users in danger. For instance, just last week a lady had her bag taken when she was on her way to work around 4 am in Fetteh Kakraba. A similar incident happened around Budumburam where two ladies were pitilessly robbed around 10 pm.
How long can this continue? Would these unfortunate episodes occur if alternative access routes were created to facilitate traffic-free movement?
Dear Minister of Road and Highways, your contractors have only succeeded in creating various bottomless pits along Awutu Breku and Camp instead of working to fix the traffic situation.
The question is how do we fix this mess? It is as simple as ABC, in my candid opinion.
First, the Ministry needs to re-engage the contractors on site, and entreat them to, within the possible time frame provide alternative access routes for motorists. Doing this, makes way for them to continue with their work without having to create unnecessary vehicular traffic and unacceptable travel times commuters have to endure each day. In most cases, heavy-duty vehicles working on the road share the same route with other road users, culminating in avoidable traffic.
Another way to handle the situation would be to entreat contractors to cease digging unnecessary pits on both sides of the road and focus on one side until it is motorable before proceeding to the other side of the road. Sadly, what is currently happening is that contractors are busy clearing and digging dams on both sides of the road. This has contributed immensely to the current vehicular traffic we are experiencing. They have simply messed up the place.
Last but not least would be to liaise with the Motor Transport and Traffic Directorate (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service, to place some of their professional men at vantage points to assist in traffic management. This suggestion may not be ideal but I think if is it properly executed it will go a long way to ameliorate the situation.
Dear Sir, the current state of the Kasoa – Winneba road is not as satisfactory as you claimed when you visited the last time. Sorry to disappoint you.
Perhaps it is time you paid your contractors a surprise visit.
AnalimbeyChris on both Facebook and X (Twitter)
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