The six-lane, 14-kilometre George Walker Bush Highway also known as the N1Highway officially opened to motorists on 15 February 2012 had a lot going for it but a few years down the line the road is not only claiming lives but exposing the age old curse of poor maintenance culture on the part of officialdom.
The overall objective of the N1 Project was to reduce travel time and vehicle operating cost as well as make an immense impact on the economy of the nation by improving the turnaround time from farm gate to the airport and Tema seaport.
As with any road, accidents are bound to happen but whiles towing service outfits promptly escort damaged vehicle off to parking lots and garages, accident or faulty vehicles on the N1 highway are left unattended to for lengthy periods of time involving days and weeks ultimately posing grave danger to other road users.
Guard railings which serve as security and safety barriers on the highway sometimes get damaged but sadly the police or private towing agencies couldn’t be bothered. In the laid pictures below, a truck can be seen resting on a guard railing posing a clear and present danger to fellow drivers.
Aside damage to the guard rails, a good number of the street lights on the highway are not functioning either because the bulb in the sockets have been dislocated or the traffic stands themselves have been hit. Why those in charge of fixing street lights do not use solar lights as done on the Graphic road is a mystery only the officials can resolve.
The lanes between the roads which ideally could be grassed or decorated with ornamental plants are rather filled with polyethene bags and other filth without the expertise of the parks and garden folks sought.
Certain portions of the N1 highway have been eroded requiring patching yet road engineers couldn’t be inclined to get to work.
A few questions arise:
Source: GhanaWeb
