Tema Motorway Phase 2 project brings relief to commuters, businesses

The completion of the Tema Motorway Phase Two project has significantly improved transportation within the Tema and Ashaiman metropolis, making commuting along the stretch more efficient, motorists and road users have told the Daily Graphic. 

A number of drivers and passengers who interacted with the Daily Graphic last Friday said the newly constructed third-tier flyover, inaugurated about three months ago, had not only enhanced traffic flow but also improved road safety at one of the most critical intersections on the Abidjan-Lagos Corridor and the Eastern Corridor Road.

The drivers and commuters confirmed that average travel time on the stretch had improved from an average of 20 minutes to about three minutes, thus easing traffic congestion and boosting overall productivity.

The Daily Graphic team interacted with the motorists when the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), sponsors of the first and second phases of the interchange project, visited the site to assess its impact.

JICA provided a grant of ¥3.65 billion ($33 million) for the second phase of the project.

The agreement between JICA and the government of Ghana was signed on October 13, 2021.

Before the project’s completion, the Tema Motorway Roundabout was notorious for severe gridlocks, particularly affecting trade and logistics.

The congestion caused delays in clearing goods from the Port of Tema, disrupting movement along the Abidjan-Lagos Corridor Highway, which connects Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin and Nigeria.

Similarly, the Eastern Corridor, a major North-South trade route, suffered from traffic bottlenecks despite its vital role in linking the Greater Accra, Eastern, Oti, Volta and Northern regions.

The heavy congestion hindered economic activities and made long-distance transportation inefficient.

However, since the completion of the project, drivers have reported a significant improvement in travel times, a development which was observed when officials from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) visited the project site last Friday (February 21) to assess its impact.

The Phase Two development of the interchange follows the success of Phase One, which included the construction of  the country’s first underground highway tunnel at the Tema Motorway Roundabout.

Drivers who frequently use the Tema Motorway Roundabout shared their experiences, confirming that the project had significantly reduced travel time and improved traffic conditions.

A truck driver who transports goods from Tema Harbour to Cotonou, Kaderi Bayirisi, described the transformation as remarkable.A commercial driver, Isaac Asare, who operates between Tema and Accra, also praised the project, emphasising its impact on his daily work.

“Before the flyover was completed, we could spend close to an hour in traffic during peak hours. Now, it takes me less than 10 minutes to cross this section of the road. This has saved me fuel and allowed me to make more trips in a day, which means more income for me,” he said.

Joseph Mensah, a long-distance driver who frequently travels from Accra to the Volta Region, said the project had enhanced trade and transportation.

The Assistant Resident Supervisor of the project, Yaw Tenkorang Osei, said beyond the physical infrastructure, JICA had also invested in training Ghanaian engineers from institutions such as the Ghana Highway Authority (GHA), the Department of Urban Roads (DUR) and the Department of Feeder Roads.