The primary booths, two of each, located on the inner lane of the main highway, will be removed as part of the exercise, which is expected to cost GH1 million.
The booths outside of the two-lane main road will not be altered. These extra booths were built as part of the tollbooth expansion project to assist reduce traffic jams while the toll was in use.
According to the Ghana Highways Authority, all of the concrete slabs on which the tollbooths were perched will be removed.
In recent years, the abandoned tollbooths have become a hotspot for accidents, with one fatality there last Sunday.
The abandoned tollbooth buildings on the Motorway have drawn criticism from the general population.
A tipper vehicle struck two of the booths in May 2022, inflicting injuries on two people. Additionally, drivers have voiced their displeasure that the tollbooths are difficult to see, especially at night, due to faulty reflectors or a lack of lighting at the places.
For the benefit of commuters, plans have been finalized for the tollbooths to be partially removed, according to Joseph Atsu Amedzake, the GHA’s director of road safety and the environment.
In order for us to start working right away, we are now mobilizing resources, tools, and employees, he added.
Three lanes where the booths are located have been roped off as part of the exercise.
On Thursday [Sept. 7, 2023], at around 2:50 p.m. wisemediatv.com reprehensive to visited the Accra end of the tollbooth and noticed that reflective cones had been set up inside the cordoned-off area to alert drivers to the blocked-off nature of part of the lanes.
That was a safety measure, according to Mr. Amedzake, to avoid accidents and make sure drivers are aware of the surroundings of the tollbooths. While we search for a long-term solution to illuminate the entire freeway, we are also mobilizing to put solar powered lamps at the Tema and Accra ends of the tollbooths to address the safety issues.
Mr. Amedzake said that the safety issues will soon start to be resolved by patching up the depressed parts of the highway that continue to endanger travellers.
The section that used to be the favoured fastest route for many commuters heading into and out of Accra to Tema and other regions of the country is now significantly more congested due to the potholes.
Mr. Amedzake urged drivers and commuters to use caution and to follow the posted speed limits when travelling the impacted stretches of the highway in order to help prevent accidents.
