Government to construct 4 footbridges to stop pedestrian deaths
Four footbridges are to be constructed at selected locations in Accra and Kumasi to enhance the safety of pedestrians.
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Two of the bridges will be sited on the Accra-Kaneshie-Mallam Road, one at the crossing near the African Regent Hotel at the Tetteh-Quarshie Interchange, while the fourth one will be at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) Junction in Kumasi.
The projects are being funded by the government with a seven million euro loan from the Austrian government.
A footbridge or pedestrian bridge is a bridge designed for pedestrians and, in some cases, cyclists, animals and horse riders.
When well-constructed and appropriately positioned, footbridges provide safe and sustainable crossing of roads, especially for women and children.
According to the Director of the Department of Urban Roads (DUR), Dr Daniel Darku, a proposal to built additional footbridges, mainly on the George Walker Bush Highway, had been sent to the Austrian government for consideration for additional funding.
Statistics made available by the Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU) of the Ghana Police Service indicated that as many as 1,129 pedestrians were knocked down in Accra alone in 2012.
The figure is the highest number of pedestrian knockdowns in one city out of the 2,797 recorded nationwide in 2012.
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“Pedestrian knockdowns in Accra are worsening,” an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Mr Alexander Obeng, stated.
Mr Obeng, who is in charge of Research and Education of the MTTU, said the roads notable for the highest knockdowns were the Old Winneba Road from First Light to the Toll Booth near Kasoa, the road from Circle to the Apenkwa Interchange on the Nsawam Road and the stretch between the 37 Military Hospital and the Tetteh Quarshie Interchange on the Liberation Road in Accra.
Work on the four projects will start next month to be carried out simultaneously by different local contractors with an Austrian construction partner.
Dr Darku said accidents related to pedestrian crashes, especially in Accra, were on the increase, with the recent one claiming the life of an eight-year-old girl on the George Walker Bush Highway on Monday January 21, this year.
The incident sparked off protests by the youth of the area, who demanded the construction of a footbridge to avoid a recurrence of the incident.
The death of the girl brings to 10 the number of people who have died on the highway since the beginning of the year.
Dr Darku expressed the hope that the construction of the footbridges would significantly reduce the number of pedestrians knocked down on the roads.
Story by Naa Lamiley Bentil