'Killer manholes' on major roads in Tema

A huge dip which motorists describe as “killer manhole” has been on some major roads in Tema particularly the Community seven section of the main harbour dual carriage way for the past few years.

The manholes, described as death traps, started as a small pothole some few years ago, but was not attended to and now have widened and deepened, leading to spiraling fatalities and had become a gauntlet for commuters, drivers and riders who ply the stretch regularly.

The menace has resulted in a heavy vehicular traffic that snarled up mostly in the early hours of the day as cars are forced to slow down to avoid running into a pothole.

Mr Abraham Darko, a mechanic operating along the Tema Harbour road told Ghana News Agency at Tema on Thursday that; “Every week I witness at least three to four accidents at that spot”.

He said the carnage prompted him to be filling the pothole with sand and stones from time to time to help curb the situation, but he stopped because of a near-death experience he encountered while filling potholes.

He expressed worry over motor riders who use the road, recounting how a pair on a motorbike were nearly rammed over by heavy weight truck after falling from it in bumps.

A Nurse Midwife resident at community seven, Mrs. Rebuena Naa Mensah Tagoe, ruefully expressed worry over school children who used the sidewalks regularly, stating that, “motorists after running into the potholes most often lost control of the vehicle and veered onto the sidewalks meant for pedestrians endangering lives”.

The Assemblyman at the Community Seven Union Electoral Area, told GNA that he had forwarded petitions from residents to the Urban Roads Department of the Tema Metropolitan Assembly but was yet to get any favorable response.

Ghana News Agency observatory tour within the Tema metropolis revealed the deplorable state of some in-dwelling roads that linked communities.

GNA found that, potholes had riddled most of the roads particularly, the Chemu to Valco Roundabout Stretch right in front of Datus School Complex, the Tema General Hospitality section road, the Sakumono to Harbour Beach road among others.

This situation added to the traffic jam menace in the metropolis since most drivers in an attempt to elude the harbour road traffic, ply the inner dwelling roads to reach their destination.

Mr. William Kwame Asante, Chief Superintendent of Police, Tema Region MTTD Commander, reacting to the menace told GNA that “he is aware of the problem”.

Pointing to other live threatening potholes, he cited “Ashaiman Newtown junction, TT Brothers Traffic Light Area, and Bel Acqua Area at Kpone” as some of the areas with major potholes that needed attention.

He said the phenomenon caused massive traffic as drivers were forced to manoeuvre through the potholes.

He urged authorities of urban roads and the MCE to salvage the situation before the beginning of rains.

Officials of urban roads were unavailable for comments on the problem.

---GNA