Eastern Corridor Road Developing Potholes?

One of the major reasons why the John Mahama led government decided to construct the much talked about Eastern Corridor Road is to shorten the distance between Accra and the northern parts of the country.

Currently, the only route leading to the northern parts of the country, especially Northern and Upper East Regions is through Kumasi, Techiman, Kintampo.

The Eastern Corridor Road stretches from the Tema Roundabout and ends at Kulungugu of the North-Eastern border with Burkina Faso.

The road, upon completion, will provide a shorter access to the Tema Port, as well as help to improve contacts between natives of the Northern, Upper East and Volta regions.

It will also improve integration between Ghana and her neighbors – such as Malians and Nigerians among others.

President John Dramani Mahama has already commissioned the 46km Dodo PepesuNkwanta section of the road, which was executed by the controversial Burkinabe contractor, Kanazoe.

The remaining sections of the 695.6 kilometer road are still ongoing. But the Daily Guide reported on Monday that even though the Asikuma-Have-Hohoe section of the road is yet to be completed and commissioned, it has already started developing potholes and in some cases, craters.

Considering the huge amount of money the state has invested into the project, The Chronicle is surprised that that even before it is completed and handed over, the road has started developing potholes.

Though the contractor working on the road has reportedly started patching up the potholes, it is still unacceptable, considering the number of vehicles that are going to use the road upon completion.

In April this year, the contractor working on the project, Odebrecht Engineering and Construction International and Andrade Gutierrez, both multinational Brazilian companies,  issued a statement, where it claimed to have introduced a number of  new technologies in construction and engineering in Ghana.

A statement signed by Otavio Schaitza, Communications Officer – Eastern Corridor Road Project, and copied to the Ghana News Agency said: “The Eastern Corridor Road Project has introduced new technologies to improve its work in Ghana.

“One example is the use of Sitech's 3D system for Graders and Paving machines”, which through the use of GPS technology, automatically regulates the machine's configurations according to the project specifications. This allows the company to spread materials with accuracy, increasing productivity and quality.”

The Chronicle is not linking the potholes that have started developing on the road to this technology, but it is an issue that one cannot completely ignore. Unless there is problem with the basement, asphalted roads should not develop potholes when the entire construction work has not even been completed.

This means that there is problem with the engineering work right from the word go, resulting in the development on the road.

The Chronicle is, therefore, advising the Ghana Highway Authority (GHA) to carefully study the new technology the construction firm claimed to have introduced and ascertain whether it suits our weather condition and, therefore, appropriate to be used in Ghana.

If, upon examination, it is discovered that the technology has nothing to do with the deterioration of the road, the GHA must still find out the cause of the problem and solve it before the road is commissioned and handed over the government.

As we have already indicated, the amount involved in the construction of the road is huge. Everything must, therefore, be done to ensure that the state derives maximum benefit from the road.