Motorists and pedestrians using the Asafo Interchange in Kumasi, which is already plagued with criminal activity and deteriorating infrastructure, are now at risk of being crushed by poorly mounted billboards that line parts of the road network.
During a visit by The Chronicle to the Asafo Interchange, connecting to Adum, at least five large billboards were observed dangerously positioned along a curve. These installations, some weighing hundreds of kilograms are located on eroded, unstable ground and appear on the verge of toppling.
The terrain beneath the billboards, about 10-meters from the road, has been severely washed away by rainwater, exposing their foundations.
Any minor disturbance, especially during a storm, could cause these towering structures to collapse directly onto traffic, with potentially fatal consequences.
This situation brings renewed scrutiny to billboard regulation in Kumasi, where increasing number of such structures are erected without regard for safety standards or proper siting guidelines.
Experts warn that improperly mounted billboards frequently become deadly hazards during storms, a reality underscored by a notorious incident at Afful Nkwanta, where a billboard planted in the middle of the road collapsed onto a moving vehicle during rainfall, trapping and injuring its occupants.
Shockingly, that very billboard remains in place, months after the incident, under the watch of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA).
When contacted, Mrs. Henrietta Afia Konadu, Public Relations Officer of the KMA, admitted that the Assembly was unaware of the current danger posed by the billboards at the Asafo Interchange.
She further stated that while the KMA oversees general approval for advertising, responsibility for ensuring structural safety lies with the advertising companies themselves.
Asked whether the KMA enforces a minimum distance for siting billboards near roads, she revealed that the Assembly does not impose any specific proximity regulations.
Instead, upon receiving a billboard application, officers inspect the location to assess suitability based on the size of the billboard and existing nearby structures.
In response to concerns raised by The Chronicle, she assured that relevant agencies will be alerted to assess and address the situation.
However, this reactive, discretionary approach has drawn criticism from safety advocates, who argue that the lack of codified siting distances or geotechnical safety checks leaves public infrastructure vulnerable and lives at risk.
With Kumasi’s skyline increasingly cluttered with haphazard advertising structures, the question remains: who is really looking out for the safety of road users?
