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A week-long maintenance seminar and road condition survey refresher course for 60 maintenance managers, road area managers, and planning engineers of the Ghana Highway Authority (GHA) has concluded in Ho.
The programme, which ended on Saturday, July 27, was themed "Data-driven Decision Making for Road Maintenance and Improvement Process." Its objective was to augment the capacity of GHA engineers with the requisite skills for effective planning and data collection.
Topics covered included traffic data collection, effective routine maintenance activities implementation, bridge defect inventory, standard reporting on maintenance projects, and data updates.
The Volta Regional Minister, Dr. Archibald Yao Letsa, who opened the seminar, stated that the timing was appropriate as it would equip participants with the knowledge and tools necessary to make informed decisions to shape the future of road maintenance and improvement. "Let us work together to pave the way for safer, more efficient, and sustainable transportation infrastructure,” he told the participants.
Dr. Letsa emphasized that effective road maintenance is crucial for safety, economic growth, and quality of life. However, with increasing demands and limited resources, there is a need to adopt innovative approaches to optimize decision-making processes in the road sector.
The Deputy Chief Executive (Maintenance) of the Ghana Highway Authority, Lawrence L.L. Lamptey, highlighted that poorly built and poorly maintained roads are expensive and inconvenient for taxpayers. He noted that roads are vital arteries that drive economic growth, connect communities, and facilitate the movement of goods and services. Thus, meticulous planning, continuous monitoring, and a proactive approach to addressing emerging challenges in road construction and maintenance are required.
Mr. Lamptey pointed out that 95 percent of the movement of people and goods is undertaken on roads, underscoring the importance of roads in the national economy. He noted that the advent of advanced technologies and data analysis has revolutionized approaches to road maintenance, providing tools to collect, analyze, and interpret vast amounts of data for deeper insights into road conditions and informed decision-making. According to him, the shift towards data-driven decision-making is not merely a trend but a necessity in the pursuit of excellence.
The acting Volta Regional Director of Highways, Faustina Oppong Yeboah, pointed out that road infrastructure, like any other structure, deteriorates after continuous usage. Therefore, it is crucial to have reliable and real-time data for the right decisions, the employment of appropriate resources, and interventions to prevent its rapid decline.
