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23.01.2016 General News

Tema Motorway Roundabout Traffic Jam To Ease Soon … NADMO, Assemblies, NGO To Proffer Solution

By Ghanaian Chronicle
Accra-Tema MotorwayAccra-Tema Motorway
23.01.2016 LISTEN

The National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) is liaising with a number of institutions based in Tema to find a temporary solution to the biting traffic situation at the Tema Motorway Roundabout.

This, according to the National Coordinator of NADMO, Brigadier-General Francis Vib-Sanziri, will enable motorists plying the route to heave a sigh of relief, whiles awaiting the huge interchange which is still on the drawing board.

Brigadier-General Francis Vib-Sanziri, who was addressing a forum organized by Exercise Rescue Mission, an NGO based in Tema, said it is true that government had plans to construct an overpass at the Tema Motorway Roundabout, but commended and supported the idea mooted by the NGO to bring together stakeholders to plan to decongest the roundabout of the stressful traffic.

Brig-Gen Vib-Sanziri emphasized the need for Ghanaians to rekindle the spirit of voluntarism that engulfed the nation some years back, during the construction of the Dawhenya Irrigation Canal and other national projects.

According to him, government alone cannot shoulder the cost of some of these emergency situations and, therefore, appealed for technical and financial support from corporate bodies in Tema and other public-spirited individuals for the project to ease traffic at the Tema Motorway Roundabout.

The harsh traffic, which has persisted for over ten years now, is not only a nuisance on the country's portion of the transcontinental highway, which starts from Dakar in West Africa to Nairobi in East Africa, but is also taking a toll on productivity, health service delivery, security and personal life development.

It is not a fluke that road users get locked up in the heavy traffic for hours; while ambulances, fire tenders and police/military operational vehicles on emergency calls are seen competing for space to access the half a century old Accra-Tema Motorway, hitherto, the best express way in West Africa.

The move for this self-help project is the initiative of Exercise Rescue Mission, an organization which specializes in civil/security cooperation to bring relief to disaster stricken areas. Works to be done are the opening of a slipway on the Motorway from Accra, at Community 12, in front of Tanink Ltd so that vehicles entering the port city could branch off the express road without necessarily using the roundabout.

Another lane would be added to the existing one from Accra, 500 meters before the roundabout and it will pass in front of Southern Fried Chicken to avoid the circular way.

The area in the roundabout, where traffic from Aflao, Tema-Akosombo meet will be widened to accommodate two extra lanes to the Oando filling station, while an additional slipway from Aflao to Ashaiman/Michel Camp/Akosombo will emerge before the circle, through the existing lorry station.

Present at the maiden forum, which was held on the 12th of January, 2016, at T-Havana Parks, Tema, to roll out the action plan, were Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA), Ashaiman Municipal Assembly (ASHMA), which was led by its Chief Executive, Ibrahim Baidoo, Kpone Katamanso District Assembly (KKDA), Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), with its Director of Port, Tema, Jacob Adorkor leading his team.

Others were Members of Parliament (MPs), Alfred Kwame Agbesi (Ashaiman), Kofi Brako (Tema Central), Daniel Titus-Glover (Tema East), whiles Irene Torshie Addo (Tema West) and Nii Laryea Affotey Agbo (Kpone Katamanso), who is also the Greater Accra Regional Minister sent representatives, and so was the Tema Mantse, who was represented.

The rest are Steel Manufacturers Association of Ghana (SMAG), Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) of TUC, Diamond Cement, Global Cargo & Commodities, Jonmoore International and Emmanuel Abodakpi, Executive Director of the venue, T-Havana Parks.

The ASHMA boss, Ibrahim Baidoo, suggested the reopening of a route, which existed before the axle-load weighing bridge from Ashaiman to connect the Motorway, which is another solution to decongesting the roundabout. He pledged the assembly's support for the novelty and appealed to road users to cooperate when the project takes off, possibly in February, 2016.

The Deputy Majority Leader in Parliament, Alfred Kwame Agbesi said that the stakeholders gathered are the people's representatives and, therefore, whatever was decided at the meeting to deliver positive results, should be implemented by the assemblies and engineers concerned.

The Parliamentary leader further appealed to companies in the heavy industrial and Free Zone enclaves to support the initiative. Kofi Brako, who is a member of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Roads and Highways on his part also lauded the initiative and gave the welcoming news that the creation of the slipway on the Motorway through Community 12 had already been approved.

He, therefore, entreated stakeholders to join hands to translate the dream into reality. Titus-Glover did not only praise Exercise Rescue Mission for assembling the stakeholders but also further suggested a solution to the nagging problem. He asked government to extend a helping hand to such selfless bodies.

Solidarity messages were also received from representative of MPs Nii Laryea and Naa Torshie Addo. Meanwhile, a technical committee put up to provide estimates for the project had visited the grounds and is expected to submit its report by Friday 22nd, January 2016 for action to begin.

BY JOHN BEDIAKO

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