Former commander of the Ghana Police Service‘s Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD), ACP (rtd) Victor Tandoh, has stated that the Accra-Tema Motorway has exceeded its value.
The 19-kilometre highway that links the harbour city Tema to Accra is replete with deep potholes and road markings have been wiped off.
Several attempts by the government to rehabilitate the Accra-Tema Motorway have over the years proven futile.
Attempts to also use foreign contractors to fix the deplorable motorway have failed due to lack of funds.
Speaking to the media on Wednesday, May 10, Tandoh said: “It [the expressway] is no more a motorway, it has become an urban road.”“Dual carriage roads provide safety, and it also provides security, because when you are driving on it, the speed limit is quite different from driving on any other roads, but now I am afraid, I don’t know if we can call it motorway,” the former police chief said.“Seriously speaking, the motorway is no longer safe, the speed at which you can drive on the road has reduced because of the deteriorating [nature],” Tandoh said.
The Accra-Tema Motorway is an essential artery for Ghana’s economy, linking the largest port in the country with the capital city.However, years of neglect and lack of maintenance have left the N1 in a state of disrepair, leading to accidents and traffic congestion.
In line with #SeeSomethingSaySomething and the government’s efforts to urge all Ghanaians to be active “citizens, not spectators”, the #SafeMotorway4All campaign will identify key challenges to the smooth working of the N1 and push for action to address these.Don’t forget to join the campaign by sharing your experiences, appeals and solutions on social media with the hashtag #SafeMotorway4All.