Reconstruction work has started on the four roundabouts on the Kumasi-Ejiusu stretch of the main Kumasi-Accra highway, which have been described by many as ‘killer roundabouts’.
Roads and Highways Minister, Akwasi Amoako Atta, in October last year ordered the removal of the roundabouts to prevent the gridlock that has characterised that stretch of the highway for the past 10 years.
Though the odd design of the roundabouts was to ensure safety, it has over the years caused vehicular traffic along the major trunk road as well as accidents mostly involving haulage trucks, which struggle to negotiate the roundabout.
Located at Ejisu, Boadi junction, KNUS Police Station and Oduom, the roundabouts were constructed as part of the 50-kilometre Kumasi-Konongo Road Project in 2004.
In view of the inconvenience created by the roundabouts, the minister ordered that they were removed and replaced with traffic lights.
Work could not start last year until recently.
When TV3 news team visited the site this week, work was progressing steadily on construction of bypass routes to pave the way for actual reconstruction work to start on the roundabouts. Ashanti regional minister, Simon Osei Mensah, explained the project was delayed on purpose, indicating they if it had started at the time the directive was given, it would have created a lot more inconvenience to commuters.
He explained at that period, there were the Asantehemaa funeral, the NPP congress and Xmas activities, all of which attracted a lot of people to the region hence starting work on the project would have created a problem.
Regional director of the Ghana highway Authority, Engineer Christian Nti, said signalized roundabouts would be constructed.
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