Concrete damage on the Achimota-Ofankor Highway has raised safety concerns among road users and experts. A group known as the bus stop boys first highlighted the issue in a viral video. They claim unknown individuals have peeled off the concrete to steal iron rods embedded in the highway structure.
However, others believe the area was accidentally knocked off, exposing the entire stretch. According to Fred Doho, a reporter with Channel One News, the exposed rods, which appear rusted, could not have been deliberately removed without significant machinery or effort. He said the removal of the concrete would have required a certain level of machinery or sophistication. He noted that the constant traffic on the highway makes covert removal nearly impossible.
Road and Building Engineer Ing. Abdulai Mahama also confirmed that the exposed rods are likely a result of vehicular impact. “It wouldn’t be any thief or scrap boys… who are going there to chisel the concrete. I think this is an impact,” he said. Citing the strength of the material, he said the strength of concrete is about 40 MPa, and that kind of concrete is very, very strong.
He called for coordinated response systems between the police, local assemblies, and road authorities, saying that the police should usually inform the local assemblies, and the local assemblies will, in turn, inform the relevant authorities so that we will not have accidents damaging public property every now and then.
Impact of Vehicular Crash on the Concrete Structure
When asked whether a vehicular impact could lead to the current situation, Mahama confirmed that the impact of a vehicle on that area would bring some off coverage of the concrete cover. He explained that the concrete cover is only about 4 cm thick and meant to protect the iron rods from corrosion.
He clarified that the extent of damage depends on the location of the infrastructure. “If I’m putting up a building close to the sea area… my cover of concrete has to be bigger,” Mahama stated. In hinterland areas like Accra, thinner covers suffice, but the impact of heavy vehicles can still cause significant damage.
He concluded by explaining the structural role of the concrete in such road systems, urging authorities to act swiftly and ensure that the concrete damage is repaired to prevent future disasters. “Aesthetically, you see, like the irons are exposed, but when the engineers come in, they will come and do the assessment. I mean, the structural engineer will come and just have a look at the concrete strength and iron and then they will just remedy it so that the corrosion will not continue,” he said.
