File photo of road construction
Some drivers who ply the Takoradi to Cape Coast highway have appealed to the Ghana Highway Authority (GHA) to expedite repair works on some damaged sections of the road ahead of the peak rainy season.
The Western Regional office of the GHA, in collaboration with the Western Regional Coordinating Council, last month began sectional repair works on the stretch to help ease vehicular traffic for motorists.
The sections included Nkroful Junction–Agric Junction to Kojokrom, and some portions at Abosso and Beposo, which had developed deep potholes, making vehicular movement difficult along those areas.
However, the repair work was yet to be completed.
The drivers, therefore, appealed to authorities to ensure the rehabilitation work was completed in time before the rains set in.
Mr. Kofi Mensah, a commercial driver, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), expressed satisfaction with the ongoing works and urged stakeholders to speed up the process before the start of the rainy season.
He said, “We are grateful for the pothole repair initiative, which allows us to drive safely and focus on other things.
“However, we are urging the contractors to expedite work and complete it before the rains start to avoid further delays.”
Nana Yaw, also a commercial driver, expressed similar sentiments and said the damaged sections of the N1 highway had long plagued motorists with congestion, particularly during peak hours, and issues of vehicular breakdowns.
“We appreciate the remedial efforts, which I think will bring some relief to us, but we appeal to the authorities to speed up work, because very soon the rains will start and that may cause further delays,” he stated.
Meanwhile, Mr. Joseph Nelson, the Western Regional Minister, clarified that the rehabilitation work was a temporary measure to alleviate the difficulties the drivers face, while the WRCC puts in place appropriate contractual arrangements for the road’s comprehensive upgrade.
He said, “This repair is a short-term solution to provide relief to our drivers, while we await long-term fixes.
“With the government’s commitment to infrastructure improvement, we believe this road will receive major attention for a permanent solution.”