Accra, March 2, GNA - The Tetteh Quarshie Interchange was opened to traffic on Sunday to facilitate works on the spill roads, Mr Eric Oduro-Konadu, Chief Executive of Ghana Highway Authority (GHA), said on Wednesday.

Mr Oduro-Konadu, who was speaking to the Ghana News Agency, said if the bridge were not opened there was no way work could have been done on the spill road from Legon to Achimota. He explained that the work on the Interchange was scheduled for completion on May 5, 2005 and the Contractor- SONITRA - would put in the necessary road furniture before the final handing over of the Project. Mr Oduro-Konadu said the GHA carried out campaigns in 20 lorry parks to educate commercial drivers on the use of the Interchange and expressed the hope that motorists would in due course become conversant with the use of the Interchange and thus improve upon the fluidity of traffic. He said the problem on the Spintex Road was caused by the huge traffic on that road and said there were plans to take part of it off before it got to the Interchange.

Mr Ludwig A. Hesse, Deputy Director, Planning and Development of Department of Urban Roads, said DIWI Consult International had concluded "Feasibility Studies And Designs of Arterial And Local Roads In The Accra East Corridor" and if these were completed much of the traffic on the Spintex Road would be taken off. "The problem is that the Spintex Road, which is supposed to be a minor road is now carrying so much traffic due the absence of alternative roads. In fact if the proposed road through the Burma Camp is built the importance of the Spintex Road would dwindle considerably," Mr Hesse said.

The 80-billion cedi Tetteh Quarshie Interchange on the Airport-Legon - Madina Road was opened on Sunday morning to vehicular traffic, with mixed reactions from both motorists and pedestrians. The Interchange, which was called Tetteh Quarshie Roundabout, used to be characterised by traffic jams and one could spend more than one hour there. The Ghana Government two years ago awarded a contract to Sonitra-RCCN to convert the Roundabout into an interchange. Motorists have been encountering teething problems but these are expected to ease in due course.

While traffic from Legon to Accra and Accra to Legon and Tema to Achimota and Achimota to Tema moved freely without letup or difficulty, motorists using the Spintex Road and those who had to make detours encountered problems and had to be assisted by the Police. Mr Oduro-Konadu on Sunday described the Interchange as a "great separation" and said 96 per cent of the work on the project had been completed. He said the Interchange would reduce the conflict points of vehicles and the cost of travelling time, adding, the Authority was carrying out a study and would soon come out with the volume of vehicular traffic at the Interchange. He gave an assurance that the Authority was liaising with the Police to put in more directional signs and speed limits at the Interchange. The scope of work on the Interchange involves a bridge on the

motorways, three lane dual carriageway on the Liberation Road, four loops, four slip roads, one roundabout, pedestrian crossing and four staircases to and from the overhead bridge. Other features of the contract are street lightning, vegetation development, drains, kerbs, guardrails and road furniture.