Nsawam-Suhum Road Deteriorate

Motorists plying the Nsawam-Suhum stretch of the Accra-Kumasi highway are having a desperate time maneuvering their way through the muddy, slippery road which is under construction. Drivers of heavy loaded trucks, commercial and private vehicles often get stuck on the road due to continued heavy down pours. The road experienced a heavy vehicular traffic from Wednesday, Thursday and Friday when a number of the heavy trucks moving from Accra and Tema to Kumasi and beyond got stuck at Keowuo and Makron near Asuboi. This situation was reported to have brought traffic to a standstill for many hours, causing inconvenience to passengers and many drivers to divert their routes. Most of the drivers resorted to using the Nsawam-Pakron road, Suhum-Koforidua road, Suhum-Asamankese road and the Koforidua-Bunso road to continue their journey to Kumasi and other places. Traffic however eased when personnel of the Motor Transport and Traffic Unit of the Suhum police went to the scene to direct traffic. Besides, heavy duty tractors of the China International Water and Electrical Corporation, contractors working on the Nsawam-Apedwa stretch of the Accra-Kumasi Highway, went to the aid of the drivers of the heavy truck by pulling them out of the mud. When the Daily Graphic visited Asuboi today, all the vehicles plying the road, both heavy trucks, commercial buses and private vehicles, were seen competing with each other for space on the rough, muddy, slippery road. Most of the vehicles were seen struggling to maneuver their through the road, with many vehicles unable to move if the drivers failed to ensure continued movement of the vehicles. A number of drivers of heavy truck told the Daily Graphic that they now spent between two and three hours to cross the road from Akrofo near Nsawam to Apedwa stretch of the highway. �If it rains, I spend close to three hours to cross the road which I normally use about 40 minutes to cross when the road is dry�, said a 32-year-old fuel tanker driver, Joseph Otubuo. �If we are serious as a country at boosting economic activities and business, the government need to give a priority to the early execution of this important road�, added a Burkinabe heavy truck driver, Suleiman Iddrissu, 38. Some of the residents living along the road at Asuboi, Makrong, Teacher Mante and Keowuo said they anticipate the road would experience more heavy traffic if the rains continued unabated. The 31.7-kilometre stretch is being built into a dual carriageway with asphalt concrete surfacing and an interchange at Suhum. The project awarded in November 2006 should have been completed in November 2009 but has suffered delays owing to lack of funds.