Residents of Winkogo, a suburb of the Talensi District in the Upper East Region of Ghana, are expressing their gratitude for the ongoing rehabilitation of a problematic section of the Winkogo-Tamale highway, approximately 500.5 meters long. The road had developed numerous potholes, causing inconvenience and accidents for commuters.
Mr. Edward Azuah Akolgo, the assembly member for the Winkogo electoral area, shared his joy over the repairs, noting that he had previously written several letters to the highways engineer requesting attention to this portion of the road. Despite these efforts, the requests went unheeded until recent months. In July 2024, local youth had planned to demonstrate to urge the government to take action, prompting intervention from the regional police command, which asked the youth to pause their demonstration while processes were initiated to address the road issues.
While Mr. Azuah is pleased with the progress, he raised concerns about increased dust on the road, which poses dangers for pedestrians who struggle to see oncoming vehicles. He urged the government to consider asphalting the road and installing speed ramps to reduce speeding and prevent accidents.
Another pressing issue highlighted by Mr. Azuah is the prolonged absence of streetlights in the community. The lights have been out for over six months, leaving the area in darkness and creating safety hazards. He appealed to the highways department to involve local electricians in the repairs, ensuring quick maintenance whenever the lights malfunction.
In an exclusive interview with Word News, Mr. Isaac Gyabaah, a materials engineer with MyTurn Construction Firm, confirmed that the 500.5-meter section has been allocated for repair. He stated that loose and weak gravel has been removed and replaced with bitumen. The team plans to monitor the road before applying the first layer, followed by a second layer, with aspirations to asphalt the entire section to prevent future damage.
Source: mywordfmonline.com/Gaspard Ayuureneeya