The Kasoa-Winneba Highway has been witnessing huge traffic jams as a result of ongoing construction works along the stretch. The situation has been exacerbated by the lack of optional routes for motorists causing discomforted users of the road to demand for immediate provisions. Here’s more in the following report by Akwasi Addo.
Travel time on the stretch has quadrupled. On a normal day devoid of any hindrance it should take motorists less than an hour to cover the distance. But these days it takes close to three hours. On weekends and as witnessed last Sunday it took some commuters between four and five hours to cover the distance.
Several portions along the stretch are being worked on and some areas of the existing road infrastructure completely destructed as part of the ongoing rehabilitation works on the stretch.
Motorists and commuters who ply the stretch are extremely worried that the contractor failed to provide optional routes vehicular movement.
Though diversions have been made and sign posts provided to guide motorists, at some portions of the stretch they complain that those roads are not motorable.
At Buduburam, the existing N1 stretch has completely by decommissioned and excavated to pave way for the construction of a flyover causing confusion among motorists.
At the back of these complains the contractor says there are various diversional routes which include available for motorists.
For motorists heading towards Winneba from Accra who do not intend to make a stopover at Buduburam the Opeikuma-Aprah-Buduburam-Breku stretch may serve as an optional route. While the Winneba Junction-Gyahadze-Kweikrom-Ojobi-Akotsi-Breku stretch is also an option for motorists heading towards Accra from Winneba. Turning to the right at the Ojobi roundabout to use the Ojobi-Anapansu-Fetteh-Millenium City-Kakraba Junction-Tuba may also aid motorists who do not intend to stopover at Kasoa.
The Kasoa-Winneba highway expansion project is estimated to cost nearly $180 million and being funded by the Government of Ghana and involves 16 kilometres of service roads, the construction of interchanges at Budumburam, Awutu Bereku and Akotsi junctions, as well as a flyover at Sapato.
It also includes the construction of 16 footbridges 15 box and 51 pipe culverts, and walkways and project duration expected to fall within three years. It is however anticipated that work on the main highway will be completed within one year and officially opened to traffic.
