Tema, Feb 12, GNA - The Tema office of the Department of the Urban Roads is to open up more roads to ease traffic on the Accra-Tema Motorway and the Spintex road.

The project involves the upgrading and construction of new roads with interchanges estimated to cost 28 billion cedis in the long term, Mr Rosbi Komey Mensah, Tema Municipal Roads Engineer, said at the weekend.

He led newsmen to tour the areas earmarked for the project and these are from Tema Motorway through Community 18, the abattoir, Kassapreko road at Baatsona to the Spintex road.

For this year, he said, 12 billion cedis had been budgeted for the project and the first phase is expected to begin in July. To pave way for the project to begin, the department would in two weeks demolish all structures on the earmarked lands. Newsmen saw that beautiful and mighty buildings had been sighted on the earmarked land. Mr Mensah said a portion within the Kasapreko area at Baatsona was earmarked in 1996 for the project but despite persistent notices people had encroached on it with impunity.

"No matter the level of development those structures will be pulled down. I appeal to developers to always adhere to the laid down regulations on building by seeking expert advice to avoid incurring debt and embarrassment."

When the project is completed, he said, motorists could assess movement from the Motorway through the Kasapreko road to the Accra East corridor to link Nungua, 37 and the Spintex road.