The Ghana Highway Authority has clarified that the new East Legon tunnel has not been officially opened to traffic.
According to the Authority, the decision to open the tunnel for use by motorists was taken in order to allow the company executing the project, Sonitra Construction, to complete work on other parts of the road.
“This is just temporary and it is a diversion to enable work on the left turn at the East Legon junction to go on. It has not been officially opened,” the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Ghana Highway Authority, Diana Seade said in an interview on the Citi Breakfast Show on Tuesday.
Despite stating that the opening of the tunnel was temporary, she hinted that the tunnel might remain in use to aid the flow of traffic until it is officially commissioned.
The new tunnel was opened to traffic on Monday and replaces the old 4-meter wide tunnel, which caused vehicular heavy traffic during rush hour because it could only carry one stream of oncoming vehicles at a time.
According to Ms Seade, with the construction of the new tunnel, “we don’t anticipate much traffic coming because the [adjoining from Adjiringanor and Legon] roads there are opened enough to be used. It was the tunnel that was creating the problem and now that it has been solved we just have to use it and look at other ways or open up other roads if possible.”
On security, the Highways PRO said streetlights will be installed on the road to ensure that “safety is guaranteed.”
Pedestrians to use old tunnel
Also speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show the Safety Manager of Sonitra Construction, the firm working on the tunnel, Owusu Prempeh, said pedestrians will be allowed to use the old tunnel instead of the new one.
“We want to use the old tunnel as a pedestrian walkway. We don’t want the pedestrians to use the new tunnel because it is very long. It is about 55 meters long. And on safety issues, if we allow pedestrians to use the tunnel and assuming a vehicle has an issue it will be very dangerous to the life of the pedestrian,” he added.
Massive gridlock cleared
Road users have always complained bitterly about the massive gridlock at the tunnel during rush hour and the delays in the completion of the new tunnel.
Citi News’ Caleb Kudah had earlier reported that the usual traffic often encountered from Airport residential area to tunnel has reduced drastically.
“The tunnel has been opened to traffic. That means that oncoming vehicles both from Spintex and Adjriganor are able to drive through without one having to stop for the other to pass- as was the case with the old tunnel,” Caleb added.
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By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citinewsroom.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin