President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Friday commissioned the first phase of the two-tier Tema Motorway Interchange.

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Funded with a Japanese grant of some US$55.6 million, the first phase of project, involved the construction of 2.1-km three lane Dual carriageway with 730m Underpass on the National route N1and the improvement of 1.9km two lane Dual carriageway on the National Route N2 from the Ashaiman Roundabout onto the Harbour Road.

The project, which commenced in February 2018, and took 28 months to complete, is expected to improve the capacity, safety and efficiency of transport and freight on the Tema intersection, and facilitate trade and transit in the West African sub-region.

At a short ceremony at the roundabout, President Akufo-Addo noted that residents in and around had for many years ensured the inconvenience of unbearable traffic and poor road network when traversing the intersection.

He said the Commissioning of the Interchange was a welcome development, especially as the upsurge of vehicular traffic, coupled with rapidly increasing urban population, are putting a lot of pressure on facilities in the cities, especially on road infrastructure, and sapping productivity.

The President said government was committed to fulfilling the pledge it made to expand and improve the country's road network, saying the commissioning of the Interchange was “an excellent day in the life of Tema.”

“We know that the provision of quality road infrastructure is an important tool for the socio-economic development of our country, and Government will ensure the even spread of such projects across the country,” he assured.

President Akufo-Addo announced that the second phase of the project, which would see the transformation of the current two-tier interchange into a three-tier one, would commence in the last quarter of 2020.

The second phase would comprise the construction of a flyover on the Akosombo—Tema Harbour Road and the expansion of other road networks connecting the interchange at a cost of 256 million Euros from KFW-Apex Bank of Germany.

President Akufo-Addo admonished motorists and other users of the road to be disciplined and use the road responsibly.

“Better roads should be a catalyst for national development, and not instruments of death and pain,” he noted.