President Akufo-Addo inaugurates Obetsebi-Lamptey Interchange
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has inaugurated the completed Obetsebi-Lamptey Interchange Phase II, in Accra.
The project is designed to link the Central Business District (CBD) to the western corridor of Ghana’s capital.
Executed by the construction rm, Messrs QGMI, under the supervision of the Ministry of Roads and Highways, it is part of the Government’s agenda to build a resilient road infrastructural base.
This is to underpin the country’s socio-economic growth and development.
“Our journey is far from complete,” the President said of the country’s resolve to expand the road network to an appreciable standard.
The first phase of the project, named after Emmanuel Odarkwei Obetsebi-Lamptey, affectionately known as Liberty Lamptey, a pro-independence icon, involved the construction of a 170-metre-long stretch along the Graphic Road.
It was successfully completed in November 2020.
The second phase of the three-tier Interchange, commencing in March 2021, has overseen the construction of a 389-metre-long road.
It stretches from the Kwame Nkrumah Circle Interchange to Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital towards the newly constructed roundabout underneath the flyover.
This has been designed to facilitate ground-level access to the Abossey Okai Road (Agbogbloshie Market Road), with provisions made for safe pedestrian crossings to ensure the safety of all road users.
The redesigned road network includes covered drains, pedestrian walkways, and cycle paths to promote safety, encourage active transportation, and create a sustainable urban environment.
A comprehensive storm drainage system has been integrated into the project, addressing long-standing flooding concerns in the area.
It incorporates the existing drainage infrastructure, including the Awudome Storm Drain, Kaneshie Drain, and Mataheko Drain.
President Nana Akufo-Addo said the project, coming on the heels of the recent commissioning of the Flower Pot Interchange, would alleviate the plight of commuters of the once trac-burdened four-legged roundabout.
The Government, he said, was determined to facilitate the movement of pedestrians and vehicles, particularly within the CBD, with an integrated modern road infrastructure.
“This project is further evidence of the transformative development agenda of the Nana Akufo-Addo-led Administration,” the President noted.
Under his tenure, some six interchanges had been completed, with 13 other interchange projects ongoing across the country, he added.
The President eulogised the late Obetsebi-Lamptey, saying the decision to site the project in his honour was in recognition of his immense contribution to the struggle for Ghana’s independence.
Historians have described the freedom fighter as a bold and confident person, who inspired his people to have hope.
His leadership role being played well brought a change to the political, economic and social standards required to pronounce Ghana as an independent country from its colonial masters, according to the technocrats.
Mr Francis Asenso-Boakye, Minister of Roads and Highways, indicated that, to further enhance mobility, the Nii-Teiko Din intersection on the Kaneshie-Mallam Road, had been reconfigured to allow right-in and right-out movements only.