Residents and regular users of the Denchembuoso-Techiman stretch in the Kwadaso Municipality of the Ashanti Region are calling on the government to urgently fix their roads, as the conditions continue to deteriorate.
Over the years, community members have struggled with severe dust pollution due to the abandoned road project, as contractors have left the construction site. The situation worsens during the rainy season, further affecting residents’ daily lives.
The Denchembuoso-Techiman road, a major link connecting Atwima Boko, Twedie, Ofoase, Trabuom, and surrounding communities, has remained in a deplorable state for years, hampering development in the area.
The road was upgraded in 2019 and was expected to be completed within two years. It forms part of the 16.2-kilometre Kwadaso to Trabuom road, which was awarded to Asabea Engineering Limited.
However, the project has stalled for several years.
According to residents, the abandoned road is negatively affecting their daily lives and businesses.
“If you sit in a commercial vehicle, you won’t have peace. The dust is affecting our lives here. Look at where the market is, if someone is selling roasted plantain or yam, and you buy some other, it means you are buying sickness.
“Sometimes the chiefs will be in the palace, and the residents will come complaining about the dusty road. The town is not far from Kumasi, yet as if you have travelled to a village,” Nana Tie-Bonsu Ansah II, Linguist for Atwimahene, told Citi News.
“We have been left behind because we don’t have anyone to help us. The contractor asked us to move our containers to enable him to construct the road, yet he has abandoned the road, leaving us to struggle with the dust here,” another resident said, Akosua Bonsu.
“The dust is affecting our lives here. My business has collapsed as a result of the poor condition of the road,” Nana Yaa Kyerewaa, Business owner, said
Residents are thus appealing to the government to urgently intervene and fix the poor road conditions.
Drivers and commuters using the road also shared their frustrations and called on the government to address the challenges they face.
“The road has been in this terrible state, which is affecting us. Sometimes we end up damaging our springs. Every four days in a week, I have to go visit a mechanic to work on my car due to the poor roads. We are calling on the government to come to our aid,” Tony Bekumah, a driver, said.
“Everyday we have to go for maintenance. The contractor has abandoned the site, and the road is affecting us. We are urging the government to help us construct the road to avert the challenges we are going through,” said another driver, Alex Nyarko.
“The nature of the road is affecting the drivers and us, the commuters, as well. Travelling from here to Kejetia is about fifteen minutes, but because of the current condition of the road but we now take about an hour for that. We are appealing to the government to help us,” said Isaac Donkor, a Commuter.
Meanwhile, the Assembly Member for the area, David Asare, lamented the current state of the road and appealed to the government to intervene and resolve the issue.
“The road has been abandoned, and dust is killing us in this community,” he added.
For his part, the Odikro and Nifahene of Atwima Techiman, Nana Afriyei Takyi, expressed his frustration over the state of the roads and urged the government to construct them to boost development in the area.
“The council members of the community met to find ways to address the challenges with the contractor. Here is Atwima Denchembuso, if it rains right now, you can’t stand where we are now. What we want is to get good roads. If the roads are in good shape, it will attract investors and also create jobs for the people in this community. Even if you bring an investor or business here, it won’t thrive because of the poor condition of the road.
“We, the chiefs, have lands to attract investors but the road is hampering that development. If the government is listening to us, the chiefs are urging for its intervention and address the Denchembuso Techiman, Twidea road,” he said.
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