Contractors To Hand Over Tetteh Quarshie Footbridge

Contractors working on the pedestrians’ still-arch footbridge near the Tetteh Quarshie interchange in Accra are scheduled to hand over the project to the Department of Urban Roads this month following the completion of work.

A source with the sub -contractor, Messes Asona Enterprise Limited revealed to Today that they had finished every work on the footbridge and was waiting for the handing over.

According to him, if nothing untoward happens “we should be handing over in two weeks time”

WAAGNER Biro Bridge System AG is the main contractor.

The project is intended to allow pedestrians easy crossing on the busy three-lane dual highway.

The decision to put the bridge at the current location followed several pedestrian who were  being  knocked -down at the spot.

Its strategic location is therefore expected to enhance pedestrian safety as they access the other side of the road.

The Tetteh Quarshie footbridge is part of a four- footbridge project being funded by the Government of Ghana with a 7million euro facility from the Unicredit Bank, Austria AG.

Pedestrians face difficulty crossing from the African Regent Hotel end of the road to the busy Accra Shopping Mall area. Its completion comes as a relief to the pedestrians who on daily basis have close encounters with death.

When Today visited the project site, workers were winding up with a few furnishing touches.

Unlike the existing foot bridges in the capital, the Tetteh Quarshie pedestrian crossing has made provision for persons living with disabilities. There are both stairs and a ramp for pedestrians to access the bridge.

Speaking to this paper, some pedestrians expressed delight at the completion of the footbridge and indicated their willingness to access it when it opens to the public for use.

Meanwhile, the Station Officer at the Airport Police Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU) Chief Inspector Abraham Nuetey, told Today that he was  excited about the project since it would go a long way to reduce pedestrian crashes.

However, he expressed concern that the pedestrians are not likely to use the footbridge if the central reservation is not blocked.

However he said pedestrians would  be compelled to use the facility once they know there were  no alternative routes apart from the footbridge.

He recounted that even though MTTU personnel were stationed at the Spanner Junction traffic light to aid the pedestrians to cross, some preferred to cross at unapproved spots and by so doing, were exposed to danger.

‘Some pedestrians are recalcitrant, instead of crossing at designated places, they expect speeding vehicles on a highway to stop anywhere so that they (pedestrians) can cross,’ Chief Inspector Nuetey added.

He said the police would be less burdened once the footbridge opens to the public.

He disclosed that police personnel would relocate to other busy spots on the stretch as soon as the footbridge is finished.

Meanwhile, a source at the Ghana Highways Authority (GHA) told this paper that President John Dramani Mahama is expected to commission the footbridge very soon.