Road Minister warns road encroachers

The Minister of Roads and Highways, Mr Kwasi Amoako Atta, has warned that all structures on the Tema Motorway road reservation would be pulled down without compensation.

He described such structures as “illegal”, adding that they sprang up on the blind side of the authorities either in the night or at weekends, saying that it was the result of indiscipline in the country.

Demolition

Speaking to journalists last Monday at a reception in Accra, Mr Amoako Atta said those involved had done so at their own risk, “because I can assure you that the structures will all be pulled down once construction works begin”.

“You can build a Job 600 in the road reservation but I can assure you that it will come down because there is no way the people of Ghana will sit down and allow an individual to get in the way of the road expansion project because of his or her personal interest.

“There is no way rehabilitation of the motorway is going to be stopped,” the minister stressed, adding that the road reconstruction extended to the Tetteh Quarshie Interchange and was being remodelled to accommodate the current traffic congestion that was being experienced,” he said.

Rehabilitation

He said the government had the responsibility to ensure that the public moved about in comfort, which was why the congestion at the Tetteh Quarshie Interchange would be taken care of once the project was completed.

According to the minister, the project corresponded with the scheduled reconstruction of the Apenkwa Bridge and extended to the Neoplan Station along the Accra-Nsawam Road.

“So, it is a major project covering a distance of about 28km,” he said, emphasising that all those who, despite counsel, were still trespassing and building structures on the road reservation were doing so at their own risk.

Mr Amoako Atta insisted that there had been a number of written communication urging and appealing to them to desist from their acts, but now those partaking in the illegality had overstayed their welcome and the earlier they advised themselves the better.

He explained that there was the need to rehabilitate the Tema Motorway, “because ever since it was constructed in the 1960s, and that is over 60 years ago there has been no major reconstruction done on it with the result that it has outlived its designed period of 50 years”.

He said remodelling of the road was long overdue because portions of it had deteriorated, requiring that repair works on the road should have taken place some 10 years ago.

Journalists

Mr Amoako Atta commended the media for their sacrifices and efforts at projecting the works of the ministry over the past four years, adding, “I appreciate your selfless devotion and sacrifices”.

He said he was grateful to the media for keeping the ministry on its toes by bringing things happening on its blind side to light, and urged them to continue to partner the ministry to ensure that projects the ministry undertook had value for money.

The minister also thanked the various directors at the ministry and its agencies as well as staff for their collective role in ensuring that, “we achieved so much together even though there is still so much to be done”.