Ghana News – Disaster looms as metal guards on Asafo Interchange rots away

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There is a looming disaster on the Asafo Interchange in Kumasi as safety mechanism collapsed, exposing road users to danger.

Median and crush barriers which protect motorists and pedestrians are rusted and broken, making the structure a death trap.

Parts of the metal railings have collapsed with no traces of the angle-iron bars used in the fabrication.

Obviously, scrap dealers may have added it to their stock. 

Other parts hang loosely and could come crushing to the ground any time soon.

Motorists and pedestrians are at risk as any slight miscalculation could send a vehicle of human being tumbling from the 20-meter peak.

Road users tell Luv News they fear for their lives.

They want authorities to take immediate steps to rectify the anomaly before disaster strikes. 

The dual carriageway interchange was constructed about 10 year ago to ease traffic congestion between the city centre and various corridors.

It has not been spared the unusual negative public attitude to state property.

Unscrupulous persons throw garbage around the structure which also serves as abode for all manner of people.

The collapse of safety systems gives serious cause for concern.

Officials at the Urban Roads Department admit the potential danger they however point to bureaucratic impediments to efforts at maintaining the interchange for public use.

“The interchange is a custodian of the department of urban roads, the traffic engineers make sure our infrastructures are in good shape, however some drivers hit the median barriers and the render them broken and defaced. My outfit will fix and replace all the broken irons and keep the interchange in shape for public use.”

Kumasi Metro Urban Roads Chief Engineer, Nana Atta Poku assures Nhyira news of immediate replacement of the metal guards to protect life and property.