The Project Manager for the Accra–Tema Motorway expansion, Ing. Ben Sackey, has sought to reassure motorists that the traffic diversions causing delays along the route are temporary and necessary to address long-standing drainage problems beneath the highway.
The Accra–Tema Motorway is one of Ghana’s busiest transport corridors, linking the capital to the country’s main port and industrial centre. The ongoing expansion project is intended to reduce congestion, improve road safety, and modernize aging infrastructure.
Speaking on the Joy Super Morning Show, Ing. Sackey said public concerns that traffic was being permanently diverted from the motorway onto the Urban Highway were misplaced. He explained that the diversions were short-term measures to allow engineers to reconstruct old culverts and water crossings under the road.
“Our construction methodology is to keep traffic on the main road as much as possible,” he said. “We are not diverting traffic from the main motorway onto the Urban Highway as a long-term arrangement.”
According to him, construction works have exposed several culverts that were built more than five decades ago, some dating back 50 to 60 years. He said these structures had reached the end of their lifespan and required replacement to ensure proper drainage and protect the road from flooding and structural damage.
“These culverts have been in existence for over 50 or 60 years. We have worked on most sections, and what remains is the motorway itself,” he noted.
Ing. Sackey explained that the drainage systems on both sides of the motorway must be properly connected to allow water to flow freely across the highway.
“To do that, we have to temporarily divert traffic so that we can excavate the middle of the motorway and reconstruct the crossings properly,” he said.
His comments come amid growing frustration from commuters, many of whom have complained about traffic congestion and confusion caused by the diversions, especially during peak travel hours.
Project officials maintain that once the drainage works are completed, traffic will be restored to the main carriageway and overall road conditions will significantly improve.
