TMA Boss deplores state of Tema roads

The Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE) of the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA), Mr. Robert Kempes Ofosuware, has lamented over the poor state of roads in the metropolis.

He made the observation during a tour of the metropolis last Thursday, together with top officials of the assembly, to assess the level of destruction of the roads, especially after the recent series of heavy downpours in the metropolis.

Mr. Ofosuware pointed out that the tour was organised in order to give the technocrats the opportunity to assess the state of the roads, and also to see how best and fast the problem could be solved.

“The states of most of the major roads in our metropolis are deteriorated due to the recent downpours, but we are going to critically assess the situation, and as soon as possible, work will commence on the roads,” he added.

Most of the roads in the Tema Metropolis are in very deplorable states, following the continuous heavy downpour in the area in recent times.

The situation has therefore led to heavy traffic jams, compelling drivers, both commercial and private, to resort to creating shortcuts in order to avoid the intense traffic.

There are big and small potholes on the roads, and others which look like natural gutters, which many believe were created by erosion.

For the fear of damaging their vehicles in the potholes, which have been created by the rains, several portions of the roads in the metropolis have been abandoned by drivers.

The Rana Motors roundabout to Kaiser Flats in Community 4 road is nothing to write home about.

The street has developed larger and deeper potholes due to the frequent spillage of water from a sewer system, which is apparently blocked, because of various forms of waste deposited into it.

Serious deteriorations were also detected on the street in front of the Our Lady of Mercy (OLAM) Senior High School at Community One (1), thus forcing 'trotro' (mini bus) and taxi drivers to adopt all kinds of methods to avoid the potholes.

At the New African Screen Shop at Community One - Site 18, Presbyterian Church at Site 14 and the Republic Road Junction, which is also known as Commercial Fotos, and the Hanch Junction in Community 4, the team saw road users throwing insults and curses at each other, as they tried to avoid the potholes.

Continuing, Mr. Ofosuware appealed to road users and residents in the metropolis, who in one way or the other have been affected, to exercise patience, since the Assembly was already looking at measures to fill the potholes.

The Metropolitan Roads Engineer, Mrs. Akua Sakyibea Vander- Pallen, said the tour had revealed that the situation was an overwhelming one, which needed to be immediately analyzed and solved.

She explained that there was the need for an immediate solution, since most of the serious potholes were located at the junctions of the roads, hence leading to heavy vehicular traffic.

On the long term measures, she stated that it was necessary for the affected portions to be re-sealed, and if possible reconstructed, adding that drainage systems should also be constructed to take control water on those portions of the roads.

Mrs. Vander-Pallen disclosed that an estimate of US$1.5 million had been prepared and forwarded to the Ministry of Roads and Highways for temporary work to begin on the roads.

She reiterated that as an interim measure, “there'll be the need to patch up the affected portions, since serious reconstruction works cannot begin without approval from the Ministry.”

She further gave the assurance that the roads with the sewer problems were already being studied by the Assembly's Sanitation Unit, and that those problems would be immediately rectified.