The Ghana Highways Authority PRO, Cecil Obodai Wentum, says work is ongoing for the dualization of some major roads in the country.
His comments come in the wake of recent fatal crashes on the Accra-Kumasi and Accra-Cape Coast roads.
These accidents and others in the past have mostly occurred as a result of wrongful overtaking or head-on collisions, a situation many believe would have been reduced if these major highways were dualized.
Speaking on Eyewitness News, Mr. Wentum said there were some feasibility studies ongoing in this regard, specifically on the Accra-Takoradi road.
“We are aware that 2021 is going to be another year of roads. This is where on the desk of the ministry as a priority, we are going to see a number of new dualization programs.”
“There are some geotechnical investigations that are underway and some survey work that is underway. You may not see an excavator, you might not see a caterpillar digging the ground; that is not to suggest that construction work has not started.”
In addition to these assurances, Mr. Wentum said enforcement of road traffic laws was also an important solution to road crashes.
“You and I are very much aware that as and when we even improve our roads, we even record more accidents. It tells you that there is a problem, it tells you that there is a situation that we have to fix. It is attitudinal.”
“We can still dualize our roads but we will still record accidents if we don’t change our attitudes on the road [and] if enforcement is not the priority.”
Also on Eyewitness News, a roads and building consultant, Mahama Abdulai, reiterated the importance of dualizing roads.
He however feels raising money for such projects could be a problem.
“Even if the government had all the money, I can say it may take years to be able to continue the dualization of the road from Apedwa towards Kumasi and beyond and then from Kasoa towards Winneba, Cape Coast and Takoradi,” Mr. Mahama added.