Walking to the Kwame Nkrumah Interchange

I had breakfast at RockWoods African Restaurant, on Ring Road Central. Then I spent a few minutes studying the map of Accra and fine-tuning my itinerary. A few minutes later, I walked out of the restaurant and disappeared into the streets of the city I wasn’t familiar with.

As I usually say, walking enables me to observe and absorb more. Besides, the simplest form of exercising brings money-can’t-buy health benefits. Yes, walking was my first activity in Accra.

I strolled along Ring Road Central all the way to the Kwame Nkrumah Interchange. Formerly known as the Kwame Nkrumah Circle, the interchange connects all four corners of the city and the rest of the country. Completed in 2016, this massive project enables smooth transits to and from Ring Road Central, Nsawam Road, Kwame Nkrumah Avenue and Ring Road West. Its implementation remodeled the old round about and unblocked clogged arteries.

I covered about four kilometers on foot. I would have taken more steps if I had a whole day. Since I only had half a day to see as much as I could, I turned to other means of transportation.

A giant statue of Kwame Nkrumah is erected inside the neighboring Kwame Nkrumah Water Park. I didn’t have access to the park because the gate was locked, and the caretaker was nowhere to be found. However, I was able to see the interior and snap a few photos while tip-toeing on an elevated spot behind the fence.

After a close look at the imposing statue of the father of the nation, albeit from a heap of garbage abandoned outside the fence, I left the area. This time, I used Bolt’s application to book a ride. As the driver accelerated along Kwame Nkrumah Avenue, I reviewed my itinerary one more time and noticed one thing: The first president of Ghana left his footprints all over the country.