Commuters plying the Ewusiejoe section of the Takoradi-Agona Nkwanta highway in the Western Region are stranded due to a blockade created by two breakdown haulage trucks.
The trucks were heading towards the Ivorian border through Elubo when they developed faults at Ewusiejoe at about 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday.
For two days, the road from Wayoe Engineering and Company (WEC) at Bokro end to Ewusiejoe, remained blocked, resulting in a buildup of traffic up to the Sekondi-Takoradi metropolis.
As of the time of filing this report the situation had not changed.
Commuters who had to spend hours on the Takoradi-Agona Nkwanta highway both day and night, are wondering when the blockade would be cleared for free flow of traffic.
Some of them, including workers, students, traders who had babies on their backs, could not bear the brunt of the gridlock and were seen helpless at the scene.
Some Takoradi-based journalists who travelled to Tarkwa on Wednesday, were also caught up in the traffic at about 6: 00 p.m. and had to journey for about five hours to get to their destination at 1:00 a.m. on Thursday.
“All commercial vehicles which run on that highway had to return to base, thereby disrupting social and economic activities in the western corridor stretching to Elubo and Tarkwa areas in the east,” Kwame Malcom, a broadcast journalist lamented.
He again noted “People have been struggling all night on Wednesday to commute to their destinations.”
Assemblyman of Ewusiejoe, John Odoom, also complained about the rate of deterioration on the Takoradi highway, especially near the bridge hence the perennial breakdowns and blockade in the area.
“No vehicle is moving. It’s not a joke here. What we have on the road are manholes not potholes. It’s terrible,” he added.
Sources at the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) explained that the police have been to the scene and have informed the Ghana Shippers Authority to remove the vehicles.
Meanwhile, the Regional Command had dispatched a towing car to the scene to help clear the road. However, the small portion left was also blocked due to the limited space available along the side of the road.
Reacting to the situation, the Municipal Chief Executive, Ahanta West, John Agyare, told the Ghanaian Times that the assembly had fixed that portion of the road on two occasions, this year, but, conditions deteriorated due to the heavy volumes of rains.
“The rains washes the filling and the road goes back to its deteriorating state. There is also the heavy haulage traffic. The road is an international road and needs to be properly constructed,” he stressed.
FROM CLEMENT ADZEI BOYE, TAKORADI
