What is supposed to be a comfortable trip using the Ofankor-Nsawam road has become a distressing ordeal for both commuters and residents along the stretch as a result of the poor nature of the road.
The reason for this is that sections of the 33.4-kilometre international road connecting Ofankor to Nsawam, which is part of the Accra-Kumasi road (National Route 6 or N6) currently undergoing construction, have significantly deteriorated, resulting in potholes that are progressively evolving into ‘manholes’.
The deteriorated portions and sections are between Amasaman and Toman, and Sarpeiman and Nsawam by-pass.
Travelling on the road can be quite uncomfortable due to the jostling of vehicles, which causes passengers to collide with one another, occasionally leading to minor disputes among them.
Battleground for drivers
The road has transformed into a battleground for drivers, who find themselves navigating its surface in an effort to evade the multitude of potholes.
Indiscipline among certain drivers has become commonplace along this stretch, as they strive to overtake one another in an effort to avoid trailing behind vehicles that may generate dust or lead them into potholes.
In addition, as drivers attempt to manoeuvre around one another to evade potholes or contend with the dust, the resulting scenario leads to significant traffic congestion, causing commuters to endure prolonged delays along the route.
For instance, a journey from Nsawam to Circle, which should take less than 45 minutes, currently takes more than two hours.
Heavy-duty vehicles and fully loaded articulated trucks occasionally tip over while trying to navigate round potholes, resulting in significant traffic congestion on the roadway.
Drivers charging exorbitant fares
Some trotro drivers have taken advantage of the poor nature of the road to charge exorbitant fares.
For instance, in the evening, some drivers charge GH¢20.00 from Circle to Doboro instead of the usual fare of GH¢12.00.
Some “trotro” drivers complete the journey in segments, resulting in passengers paying three times the usual fare to reach their destinations.
Health implications
The health implications stemming from the nature of the road is another challenge users of the road are contending with.
The construction of the road has resulted in users consistently inhaling the dust generated from its surface. While the contractor makes periodic efforts to mitigate this problem by watering the road, this measure is insufficient to effectively address the problem.
The water evaporates rapidly, likely due to the harmattan, leading to a fast return of the dust.
Consequently, individuals who prefer to wear white clothing find it challenging to use the road, as their garments quickly become stained.
Work on the project has slowed considerably as only a handful of workers are working on just some portions of it.
Contractor must work day and night
In an interview with some of the commuters on the road, they appealed to the new government to push the contractor to work day and night to complete the project.
According to them, the Ofankor-Nsawam road is such an important international road and so all efforts must be marshalled to complete it.
“I pray the new government will not abandon the project because what we are going through is so unbearable,” Lydia Akrofi, a commuter, told The Ghanaian Times in an interview.
“We residents along this road have suffered for too long and the government should do what it can to facilitate the completion of the road to bring relief to us,” Kofi Forson, another commuter, said.
Paul Attah, a driver, stated that due to the poor condition of the roads, drivers are compelled to frequently replace various components of their vehicles because of the ongoing wear and tear.
“It is stressful driving on this road and the earlier the road is fixed the better it
will be for us all,” he stated.
Mr Forson stated that a number of trotro drivers had ceased operations on the Ofankor-Nsawam route due to its poor condition, which was contributing to the challenges faced by commuters travelling between Circle and Nsawam in securing transportation to and from their destinations.
New completion date set
The Resident Engineer on the Nsawam-Ofankor Road Rehabilitation Project, Thomas David Arthur, in an exclusive interview The Ghanaian Times here on Thursday, said the project was 73.0 per cent complete.
He said the project was expected to be completed by the end of May 2025, after the 11-month extension requested by the contractor was granted.
The project was originally scheduled to have been completed in July last year.
Mr Arthur indicated that the delay in the relocation of utility lines, issues related to compensation, legal disputes, and challenges concerning cash flow were among the factors contributing to the delay in the project’s execution.
The Resident Engineer said the client (government) was addressing the challenges to facilitate the completion of the project on the new schedule date.
He said his outfit appreciated the challenges commuters went through due to deterioration of some portions of the road.
“We sympatise with the commuters and the difficulties they continue to endure to access the road but should bear with the contractor as the company worked to complete the road,” he stated.
On the deterioration on some portions of the road, the Resident Engineer said the contractor had deployed a maintenance team, which was fixing portions in bad shape.
Regarding the dust on the road, Mr Arthur said the contractor had increased the fleet of water tankers that sprinkled water on it frequently to control the dust.
Mr Arthur stated that the change in government would not impact the project, suggesting that given the significance of the initiative and the extensive work completed on the road, it would be unwise for the government to discontinue the project.
Nsawam-Ofankor road is an important route as it links the southern part of the country to the north and the country to its Sahelian neighbours such as Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.
The $346.5 million road rehabilitation project is jointly funded by the government and Maripoma Enterprise Limited, a wholly-owned Ghanaian construction company, which is also executing the project under a Design and Build Contract with Associated Consultants Limited as the supervising consultants.
Work on the project started in July 2022, was scheduled to be completed in July 2024, but as it could not be completed on schedule, the contractor has requested for additional 11 months of extension.
The project includes the construction of interchanges, flyovers, footbridges and bridges at Amasaman, Kpobiman, Medie and Nsawam Junction.
It also involves the construction of eight lanes, four on either side from Ofankor to the Pokuase Interchange, and 10 lanes, five on either side from the Pokuase
footbridge to the Nsawam bypass.
The completion of the road would ease traffic on the Accra-Nsawam route and promote socio-economic activities along the stretch and also facilitate trade between Ghana and its Sahelian neighbour regions.
FROM KINGSLEY ASARE,
AMASAMAN
