Prez Mahama inspects work on damaged bridge on Tema Motorway
President John Dramani Mahama Wednesday appealed to motorists and passengers who used the Accra-Tema motorway to exercise patience as efforts were underway to complete a temporary route by March 26, 2014 to ease the current congestion caused by a damaged bridge.
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To bring some amount of relief to users of the motorway, the President ordered the immediate re-opening of one lane on the damaged bridge to reduce the congestion pending the completion of the temporary bypass.
President Mahama, who was on the motorway to acquaint himself with work to fix the damaged bridge, told journalists that everything possible was being done to restore normalcy.
The Daily Graphic learnt that actual work on the damaged bridge was, however, expected to take five weeks to complete.
Traffic
The opening of the lane brought a huge relief to drivers and passengers from the Tema-end of the motorway who had been caught up in the unbearable traffic jam for hours.
Part of the bridge developed serious cracks and nearly caved in, prompting the Ghana Highway Authority (GHA) to close one lane of the bridge on March 12.
That development has since created heavy vehicular congestion on the motorway, with the attendant inconvenience to commuters.
Briefing
President Mahama was taken round by the Chief Executive of the GHA, Mr Michael Abbey, who also briefed the President on work so far done and what was left to be done.
President Mahama said the government recognised the inconvenience users of the motorway were going through.
While emphasising the importance of the motorway to national development, the President reiterated the decision of the government to expand it from the current four-lane to six lanes.
Work on the major project, he said, would start immediately the procurement process was complete.
Mr Abbey, for his part, said work was moving fast to ensure that the entire motorway was opened to traffic.