TAMALE ROAD NETWORK IMPROVES TREMENDOUSLY (PAGE 29)

THE road network in the Tamale metropolis has improved tremendously over the years. Indeed, most visitors to the metropolis are impressed with the beautifully laid-out roads, most of which are covered with asphalt.
Many of the roads have sealed side drains, pavements and bicycle lanes. The rest are either gravelled or have been undeveloped.
Being one of the fastest growing cities in the West African sub-region however, more work needs to be done to link the sprawling suburbs to the rest of the metropolis to make the new areas more accessible.
It is for these reasons that the Urban Roads Department in Tamale has stepped up its efforts to tar most of the roads in the old as well as the new communities which are springing up.
Most residents have commended such initiatives, and expressed the hope that apart from making those areas accessible, the tarred roads would also help in reducing the amount of dust that engulfs those suburbs during windstorms, particularly during the harmattan season.
So far, a greater part of the roads which were started last year by the department have been completed.
According to the Tamale Metropolitan Roads Engineer, Mr William Donkor, the Sakasaka, Iranian and SDA roads that began last year have all been completed.
Roads along the Tamale Airport, the new UDS Hostel and the Radach Hotel in the industrial area are also in use now.
He said work was ongoing on the Tamale Polytechnic, Nasona Guest House areas and the new stadium roads, and expressed the hope that ‘‘by the end of July, the contractors might have completed work on them.’’
The projection for this year includes the Vittin-Target, Relax Lodge through Tishigu to the main Tamale-Bolga road, portions of the SSNIT-Fuo Road and the construction of a by-pass through the Village Water Reservoir area to the Second Ring Road.
The rest include the laying of box culverts on the Second Ring Road that cuts across Taysec, SSNIT and Agric Traffic lights area and the resealing of some existing roads that were constructed by Taysec in order to prolong their lifespan.
This has become necessary following the continuous use of the roads, particularly the Kintampo-Tamale-Bolgatanga highway and its resultant destruction by the heavy duty vehicles which carry goods to and from Burkina Faso and the other Sahelian regions.
On the dysfunctional street lights in the metropolis, Mr Donkor attributed the problems to the malfunctioning of the controller systems and some of the underground cables.
‘‘We are however working around the clock to get the contractors, who are based outside Tamale to come over and work on them,’’ he explained.
The engineer said while the signal heads of the existing traffic lights would be changed, new ones would be erected at the Warders Canteen and Jisonayili junctions.
When done, he said, that would help minimise accidents at those junctions, which are part of the flash points in the metropolis so as to ensure the safety of both motorists and pedestrians.