ELS: MBN360 NEWS
The Minister for Works and Housing, Ahmed Ibrahim, has announced that the Ministry will commence a critical phase of drainage construction along the west bank of the Dr Busia Highway at Kaneshie as part of the Greater Accra Resilient and Integrated Development (GARID) Project.
He made the announcement at the Government Accountability Series in Accra on August 26, 2026, where he provided an update on the progress of the GARID project and outlined measures to mitigate the impact of the upcoming construction on residents, motorists and businesses.
According to the Minister, the Ministry will introduce a comprehensive traffic management plan to guide vehicular and pedestrian movement throughout the construction period.
“We believe that infrastructural projects succeed not only because of engineering expertise but because of effective communication and public cooperation. The goal is to ensure that every road user is aware of each phase of the construction and the measures being put in place to reduce inconveniences,” Mr Ibrahim said.
He said an extensive public education campaign would be rolled out across multiple media platforms to ensure widespread public awareness.
The Minister emphasised that the campaign should be produced in other Ghanaian languages to ensure its effectiveness and reach the widest possible audience, particularly people in communities directly affected by the construction.
He disclosed that the project had collaborated with the Department of Urban Roads to prepare appropriate road diversions and erect signposts across affected areas to facilitate smooth movement.
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Mr Ibrahim also appealed to media houses to support the national exercise by giving prominence to the traffic management plan and keeping the public informed before, during and after the construction.
“The media is a critical partner. We are urging all media houses to support this national exercise and give prominence to the traffic management plan,” he added.
About the GARID project
The Greater Accra Resilient and Integrated Development Project is a Government of Ghana initiative supported by the World Bank. It is designed to improve flood-risk management and solid waste management in the Odaw River basin.
The project adopts an area-based approach, focusing on the Odaw River basin. The Odaw River and its tributaries – the Nima, Onyasia, Dakobi and Ado rivers – drain major urbanised areas of Accra, including the Accra Metropolitan Assembly, Ga East, Ga West and Adentan municipal areas further upstream.
The Odaw basin has over the years been an epicentre of perennial flooding in Accra, particularly affecting communities such as Alajo, Avenor, Nima, Kaneshie, Kwame Nkrumah Circle and Agbogbloshie.
The GARID project seeks to address the underlying causes of flooding through engineering interventions, including drainage construction and dredging, as well as non-engineering measures such as community engagement, early warning systems and improved solid waste management.
The drainage works along the Dr Busia Highway at Kaneshie form part of the project’s ongoing efforts to expand the capacity of primary drains and improve water flow into the Odaw River, thereby reducing flood risks and strengthening resilience in the Greater Accra Region.
