Pokuase Interchange under threat by reckless drivers

Negative activities of drivers plying the yet-to-be-completed Pokuase Interchange at the ACP Junction in the Ga North Municipality are fast destroying portions of the road, the Resident Engineer, Mr Kwabena Bempong, has said.

He mentioned that spilling of diesel, jerking of vehicles, parking of broken-down vehicles on the road as well as the fixing of broken-down vehicles on the road were some of the activities.

These activities, especially the spilling of diesel on to the road surface, he explained, dissolved the bitumen on the asphalted road creating potholes.

In a telephone interview with the Ghanaian Times on the above concerns in Accra yesterday, Mr Bempong said spilling of diesel and jerking of vehicles were seriously destroying the road.

Mr Bempong also said jerking of vehicles directly on the road “depresses and deforms the asphalt,” thereby creating potholes and destroying the road.

The Resident Engineer also lamented that speeding on the road was also becoming a challenge to contractors working on the road.

He said because of speeding some drivers had destroyed some of the road safety facilities installed to ease vehicular movement and protect pedestrians on the road.

Mr Bempong said some of the crushed barriers, retaining walls, street lights on the newly constructed road had been destroyed by some recalcitrant drivers.

“Just before the Pokuase Interchange is completed the activities of some recalcitrant drivers is fast destroying the uncompleted road,” he said.

The Resident Engineer said the destruction of the safety facilities on the road is becoming a worry to the contractor, since the contractor had to bore the cost of replacing those facilities.

He entreated the Motor Traffic and Transport Department to deploy Police Officers to the newly constructed road to ensure the new facility and lives were protected.