By The government is taking urgent steps to construct temporary drainage on the Kasoa to Winneba section of the N1 highway to address the persistent flooding issue.
Richard Kofi Amekor, Head of Drainage at the Ghana Hydrological Authority, explained that due to the severity of the situation, authorities cannot wait for the completion of the main storm drain on the stretch, which is currently only 30 percent complete. As a result, temporary chambers will be created along the stretch to facilitate the flow of water and debris during rainy periods.
Mr. Amekor made these remarks during a visit by Minister of Roads and Highways, Francis Asenso-Boakye, along with engineers and officials from the ministry and the Ghana Hydrological Authority to assess the aftermath of the recent flooding incident in the area and identify possible causes and solutions.
Heavy traffic has been reported between the SCC and Old Barrier stretch since last Monday following a downpour that caused flooding in the area. According to Mr. Amekor, flooding in this area is a recurring issue due to the large volumes of water from the hills, coupled with soil erosion onto the road during rainfall.
Mr. Amekor explained that debris obstructed the drains, causing flooding in the area. “There’s an existing pipe about 1.2 meters in diameter parallel to the road, and we are going to create chambers within this pipe. When it rains, some of the water can flow through these chambers into the outfall,” he said.
In addition to the temporary chambers, construction is underway for a 1.6-kilometer storm drain from Kasoa Old Barrier to the West Hills Mall area, expected to be completed within the next 17 months.
Regarding the project’s scope, Mr. Amekor noted that the drainage would feature built-in sand traps to collect sediment carried by the water for easy desilting. The authority plans to sign a memorandum of understanding with the municipal assembly for the routine maintenance of the drainage upon completion.
Source: Graphic.com
