Residents and commuters along the Ashaiman-Afienya road are expressing frustration over the deteriorating condition of the road, which has resulted in severe traffic congestion, affecting local businesses, drivers, and residents’ health and productivity.
The journey, which normally takes 25 minutes, now takes over three hours, forcing some to leave their homes as early as 5 a.m. The poor state of the road, part of the Eastern Corridor Road Project LOT 1, has been exacerbated by the government’s IMF program and debt restructuring, which have affected funding and slowed down construction.
Drivers lament that the dire condition of the road is significantly eroding their income, as they now have to spend more on maintaining their vehicles. A road user described the situation: “The traffic situation is bad here. When it rains, it floods the road from Ashaiman roundabout all the way to the barrier area. The potholes on the road are many, and as a result, the cars cannot move fast enough, and the traffic situation intensifies. The road is also narrow. It would be good if the road can be expanded along with the construction of the drain.”
The contractor responsible for the Eastern Corridor LOT 1 project explained that the government’s IMF program and debt restructuring have affected the progress of the construction. “Originally, it was supposed to have started in May 2022 and end in November 2024. Unfortunately, because of the economic challenges facing the country, the funding agent decided to hold off payments, pending an agreement with the government on how the payment structure will be, so they instructed the contractor to hold off on doing physical work.”
However, the contractor assured that engineers have begun fixing potholes on the stretch to ease the traffic situation. “We’ve spoken to the contractor, so they’ve started fixing the roads. They started close to this campsite, somewhere around the railway. They’ve started some pavement work there.”
Residents and road users are calling for urgent attention to the road, which is not only affecting their livelihoods but also their health and productivity.
