The Minister of Roads and Highways, Kwesi Amoako-Atta, has urged estate developers to consult experts before constructing roads on properties they put up.
He lamented that most road projects provided in gated-communities did not last long, thus becoming additional burden on the Ministry to maintain.
This unfortunate situation, Mr Amoako-Atta explained would not be allowed to continue, because the property owners bought it to enjoy a perpetual peace of mind and not to be occasionally burdened by one social problem or the other.
He, therefore, tasked estate developers to contact the Ministry of Roads and Highways technical advice to help them construct durable roads.
The Minister said this on Tuesday on a duty of parts of the Greater Accra Region when he met Executives of the Devtraco Residents Association at Baatsona over continuous flooding of their flats at the slightest rainfall.
Out of the 203 housing units and nine flats about 40 properties have been abandoned by the owners while others have abandoned their flats due to the flooding of their homes for the past three years according to the President of the Association, Daniel Boakye.
He indicated that the heavy flow of water from the Temple Gate Estates to Klagon Water works posed grave danger as the channel at the estates was too narrow to serve as a directory for the water to the Klagon waste reserve area.
Mr Boakye said the area had been hit by serious floods and hailed the attention given by the Minister as a “God sent.”
Mr Amoako-Atta stated that investigations conducted by the Ministry revealed that roads along most properties were not properly constructed leaving the property buyers to their fate as the roads deteriorate within a year or two.
The Ministry, he said have seasoned consultants who would help revive the drawing in case of defects before construction takes off.
The Minister pledged government’s commitment to support the association overcome their challenges by attaching two engineering from the Hydro Services Authority and the Department of Urban Roads to offer expert advice on the re-construction of the road network in the flats.
“This is a very progressive government that is ready to promote economic development as such would continue to partner the private sector to provide affordable housing.
BY LAWRENCE VOMAFA-AKPALU
