Government to improve capacity of Tema Motorway

By Benjamin Mensah, GNA
Accra, June 26, GNA - The Ministry of Roads and Highways and Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority have completed a design to improve on the capacity of the Tema Motorway.

Sector Minister Alhaji Inusah Fuseini told Parliament, in Accra, that the capacity improvement project would be done by providing additional dedicated right turning lanes or slips lane and an additional circulatory lane to ease traffic congestion.

The assurance to ease the congestion is in response to a question asked on behalf of Mr Daniel Nii Kwartei Titus Glover, MP for Tema East that sought to know what efforts the Ministry is making to ease the traffic congestion on the end of the Tema Motorway in Community Nine.

Alhaji Inusah, who is also the MP for Tamale Central, admitted that the roundabout is below the capacity to contain the volume of vehicles using it, hence creating traffic congestion, which causes delay in transporting goods to the Tema Harbour and its environs.

The Minister said the completion of the design for the proposed capacity improvement project is a short term measure.

He said Government is also in the process of securing Japanese Grant Support to construct an interchange at the Tema Motorway roundabout.

'The draft interchange design drawings have been submitted by the consultant and they are being reviewed by the Ghana Highway Authority,' Alhaji Inusah said.

The Minister also told the House of what had become of his promise to institute a temporary measure on the Lantei and Teshie Highway, in the Nsawam -Adogyiri Constituency, to save school pupils who are knocked down regularly on the said highway.

The MP for the area, Mr Frank Annoh-Dompreh, had in a question, reminded the Minister of the promise some time ago, and wanted to know the progress of that assurance since last year.

The Minister responded: 'Following the promise made last year, a Variation Order has been issued on the main contract to get the contractor to construct permanent overhead footbridges for the two communities.'

The Minister announced that the contractor on the project has been instructed to swiftly carry out some safety remedial works.

These include including speed calming measures to reduce vehicular speed in the communities and enhanced road line markings to regulate vehicular flow and segregate pedestrians from vehicle paths.

'Meanwhile, the installation of diamond grade information and warning signs along the Nsawam by pass has been completed by Messrs Skills Link,' Alhaji Inusah said.

The House, at its sitting also passed the Ghana Geological Authority Bill, which seeks to promote standards of professional conduct and efficiency in geological matters, effective dissemination of information on geological hazards and to ensure the effective exploration and exploitation of mineral resources.

GNA