Mr Amoako Attah, the Minister for Highways, who reopened the road, said it had become necessary to open the road partly because of the slow pace of traffic on the road, adding that, the road was a very important one for the government, the public and the people of Akuapem.

He said the road could not be kept closed indefinitely because the Ministry recognised how relevant the road was to stakeholders and also due to the festive season, it needed to be opened.

The road was closed to traffic in May 2016 for works, to make way for the fixing of the falling rocks to ensure that safety measures were undertaken.  He said the contractor asked for 12 months to complete the work but later extended it to September this year due to technical reasons.

The contractor, however, is seeking additional months to complete the work.

The sector Minister assured the public, especially users of the road not to panic in using the road because the minimum safety level of the road had been attained.  He urged road users not to panic because experts had analysed the safety of the road and have assured its safety.

At the site, metallic meshes have been fastened to tighten the sliding rocks and to prevent them from falling onto the road. The Minister indicated that currently, a secondary mesh had been used to manage the situation until the final work is done with the primary mesh.

He said the technical persons were going to keenly monitor the project to ensure that it was completed on time and in safety.  He assured that the rest of the work would be done to ensure that the road was permanent safe for road users.

Mr Joseph Akyeampong, the Managing Director of CST Africa, the company working on fixing the falling rock, said the progress of work was satisfactory and that road users could start using it. He said what was left to be done was the fixing of the primary mesh to make it more secured for the public, reiterating the fact that the road was safe for public use as at now.

He said the challenges causing the delay had been more technical and that his company was in discussion with the Ministry of Highways and the Ghana Highways Authority to give more time and funds for the project.

Mr Kwesi Kwao, a taxi driver, said reopening the road had brought to him and other road users, a relief and joy because it would assist in reducing the traffic situation, which was usually experienced on the road. 

He recounted how three days ago, a vehicle knocked down a motor rider after he overtook the rider because all motorists had to use the same side of the road. Mr Bright Quartey, a commercial driver commended the stakeholders for working to ensure that the road was reopened and was secured.