The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) has unveiled road safety enhancement works at the Holy Spirit Cathedral intersection in Accra to ensure road safety.
The enhancement works, carried out with support from Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety (BIGRS) and Partnership for Healthy Cities (PHC), seeks to address the issue of pedestrian safety and reduce crashes.
Some of the road safety interventions undertaken at the intersection include the remarking of faded road line markings (stop lines, centre lines, crossing lines, directional lines etc.), extension of the medians with the use of road markings and hatching to tighten the intersection.
Others were lowing of kerb heights at pedestrian crossing locations to allow for safe and easy passage for wheelchair users, mounting of fixed painted bollards at pedestrian crossings to discourage motorcyclists from using such areas and reduce motorcyclist-pedestrian conflicts.
The rest are speed limit signs and provision of junction lane definition markings at the intersection to guide vehicular movement.
The Holy Spirit Cathedral intersection is a crossroad in the heart of the city and has been a focal point for road traffic-related crashes over the years.
The Police MTTD crash report says 12 crashes occurred at the Cathedral intersection between 2018 and 2020, with 8 victims. sustaining serious injuries.
Some challenges at the intersection before the commencement of the enhancement works were the hazardous elevated kerbs at the pedestrian crossings, deteriorated road line markings and malfunctioning traffic signals.
Madam Elizabeth Tawiah Kwatsoe Sackey, Chief Executive Officer, AMA, said the Assembly was obligated to improve the quality of life of people living within the city of Accra by providing opportunities for social and economic development whilst maintaining a clean, healthy, and secured environment.
She said the desired quality of life and safety of pedestrians and drivers were dependent on the availability of one of the components being proper road infrastructure for safe movement of all road users.
“This reflects our collaborative endeavours to create safer road environments and protect the lives of our citizens and it shows AMA’s relentlessness towards the reduction of deaths on our roads.” Madam Sackey said.
GNA