Tema-Dawhenya traffic robs workers of productive time

Residents of Ningo-Prampram District and its environs on Thursday said the intense traffic on the Tema-Dawhenya road was robbing them of productive time as they spend hours moving from one destination to the other.

The road is known to be part of the Trans-West African highway which serves as a link between Ghana and Togo.

According to some residents, no matter what time they leave home they would still reach work late noting that the traffic starts as early as 0500 hours through to about 2100 hours at both sides.

It is a normal scene each day to see vehicles in long queues both from the Dawhenya end of the road and just after the Tema Interchange.

Naa Anyorkor Mensah, a resident and motorist told the Ghana News Agency at Tema that the situation was frustrating as they spent hours in the traffic and got to work late and tired.

Mr Simon S. Tetteh, another resident of Dawhenya told the GNA that “we have 24/7 traffic so it is no longer a road, it is difficult doing business and having a simple movement around the place, very difficult and hectic”.

Mr Tetteh added that a lot of industries had sprung up on the Tema-Aflao road as people had relocated to the new settlements and estates in the area and there was the need to expand the road to ease traffic.

“We are therefore pleading with government to assist us; we are aware that a lot of businesses have sprung up along that stretch as well as estates. We also know that development is heading towards Ada from Tema so a lot of people are moving towards that direction”, he stressed.

He added that the Afienya-Dawhenya link was another problem that needed to be fixed as it was also adding to the traffic on the main road with those travelling to Shai areas from Ningo-Prampram having no option than to use the Tema-Aflao road.

“In fact, in the Ningo-Prampram District there are no roads except the one from Tema interchange to Aflao,,, we don’t have any good internal roads, its expensive doing business around these areas”, he added.

Mr John Asem, a resident of Community 26, reiterating the need for the dualization of the road said the traffic was especially intense between Kpone barrier to Dawhenya a situation he noted was affecting the efficient running of businesses as well as worker’s movement.

Meanwhile, the proposed construction of the first phase of the 17 kilometres road which sod was cut on October 25, 2020, is yet to start.

The phase one was to see an upgrade of the road between the Tema Interchange and Central University junction in the Ningo-Prampram District and aimed at improving its capacity and provide uninterrupted traffic flow through the district.