Moves to enhance productivity

The heavy vehicular traffic in the capital city is said to be seriously affecting productivity of workers and all businesses. Charles Benoni Okine writes about measures to change the trend.

A number of projects have been initiated by the Department of Urban Road to completely ease the worrying vehicular traffic situation in the capital to help improve movements and to enhance productivity.

The projects comprise the construction of a number of interchanges to replace the roundabouts concept and the widening of major roads to be able to accommodate more vehicles at a time ease the traffic.

When completed, the projects are expected to make adequate room to accommodate the growing number of vehicles which stands at a whopping 13 per cent per annum.

The situation is aggravated by the fact that about 80 per cent of commuters move in one direction during the peak hours of the morning and in the evening into the business district of Accra and the ministries area and move out the same way to their various abode.

Constructing Interchanges

The Director Metro Roads, Mr Abass Awolu, told the Graphic Business in an interview that one of such major projects will be the Kwame Nkrumah Interchange project that will be constructed at a cost of 74 Million Euros and will commence at the end of the first quarter of the year.

Funds for the project is expected from the US$3 billion China Development Bank (CDB) meant to undertake series of projects across the country.

The Nkrumah Circle has been one of the major points where vehicles get choked in traffic for several hours. It makes it difficult for employees and traders alike who ply their business in that area to commute freely.

According to the Metro Director “The capacity of the roundabout has been exceeded and that has created the congestion at Circle”.

Vodafone for instance, among other things had to relocate its headquarters to the airport area because of the difficulty with which its employees and customers went through when coming to work or having to come over to conduct business.

Mr Awolu also mentioned similar interchanges that are expected to be constructed at the Obetsebi Lamptey Circle and the Danquah Circle also in a bid to ease vehicular traffic.

He was however, not able to tell how much the two interchanges will cost but noted that they are likely to be smaller than the one at the Nkrumah Circle.

Mr Awolu said “The interchanges are expected to drastically improve the traffic at the roundabouts and we are confident of the results when they are completed”.

Road Expansion

With funds expected from the China Development Bank, the road from the Independence Arc all the way to Tema is expected to start sometime this year to free the heavy vehicular traffic on that stretch.

The project is expected to cost about US$96 million and will be in two separate lots. It is also expected to be financed with funds from the CDB loan.

According to Mr Awolu, the project will be dual carriage roads that will stretch to Tema with an interchange at the Nungua Barrier and a new bridge along the Kpeshie Lagoon.

The project is expected to start before the end of the year.

He also mentioned an ongoing road project meant to widen the road from the El Wak Stadium to the intersection at Trade Fair.

“This will be a four lane dual carriage because it is an area where a lot of vehicles ply and must be wide enough to accommodate the pressure”, he said adding that the project is expected to be completed by next year.

In the same area, he said there is expected to be another road constructed through the point near the Home Touch Restaurant to connect the Spintex Road.

“This will be a new road altogether and this is being done to open up more options for commuters”, he said.

On the Dansoman Highway, he said there are a number of ancillary works to be undertaken and these will include the pedestrian walkways and laybys.

Traffic Lights

Mr Awolu said there will be what he called the “Accra Intelligent Traffic Management System” that will coordinate all the traffic lights in the capital. US$100 million under the CDB will start this year and will take 24 month to complete.

“We will also put into the traffic system what we call the green wave which allows vehicles that move at specific speed to go through the traffic lights without stopping to reduce the congestion within the network.

Under the project there will be a five-storey center where the entire exercise will be coordinated.

Mr Awolu said the system will be stringent enough to track drivers who jump the red lights and those will be fined.

“Those fines among funds from others sources would be used to maintain that system”, he added.

Mr Awolu said in all about 207 intersections will be controlled by solar mounted traffic lights that will help ensure constant display of the lights.

Mr Awolu was of the view that when all these projects are completed, the issue of traffic in the city will be drastically reduced to help enhance productivity.