Road closures and alternative routes announced for state funeral for helicopter crash victims

The Ghana Police Service has announced a series of temporary traffic restrictions in Accra on Friday, 15 August 2025, to assist the inter-denominational and inter-faith State Funeral for victims of last week’s military helicopter disaster.

Speaking at a news conference on Thursday, August 14, Deputy Chief of Staff in charge of Operations, Stan Dogbey, said the event will be largely a military service led by the Ghana Armed Forces(GAF) and divided into three main portions.

“The service would largely be a military service, it would be conducted by the Ghana Armed Forces and there will be three parts to the funeral programme. We would have the three burial service during which period some tributes would be read, we would have Qu’ran recitations during that period.”

“And the second part would be the main funerals and burial service. The pre-burial will start from 7:30am and would continue to 9:00am. We expect the Vice President to arrive at the funeral grounds at 8:50am in the morning and that will be followed by the President at 9:00am where the state service will begin” he said.

“The service is programmed to last for approximately three hours during which period we would take the biographies of the departed eight, colleagues, parents, siblings. After the biography we will take tributes from the widows, and then also tributes from the children.

There will be other tributes that would be read by some senior government officials. All institutional tributes, tributes from the various institutions that our departed comrades worked with or associated with will be read during the pre-burial period before 9:00am,” he added.

The bodies of the six victims who have not yet been buried will be transported to the military cemetery in Tse Addo for burial following the state service, Mr. Dogbey stated.

“After the service, the bodies of the six that are yet to be buried would be conveyed to the military cemetery at Tse Addo for burial. And there as well, the GAF together with the churches of the six departed comrades will take charge of the burial ceremony at the military cemetery,” he clarified.

Roads to be Closed

28th February Road: CEPS Traffic Light → Castle Road Junction

Lokko Street: Osu Cemetery Traffic Light

Castle Road: AU Circle → Osu Cemetery Traffic Light

Starlet 91 Road: Ministries Traffic Light Intersection

Traffic Diversions

The police have outlined diversion routes for affected motorists:

From La/Labone/Osu to CBD: Castle Traffic Light → Salem Avenue → Oxford Street

From Lokko Street to Castle Road: Ajumaku Street → Oxford Street (Osu)

From Atta Mills High Street to Black Star Square: CEPS Intersection → Liberia Road → National Theatre

From AU Circle to Castle Road: Abdul Diouf Road → King Hassan Road → Abdul Nasser Road (GIJ)

Public Advisory

The Police Service is urging motorists to use alternative routes, follow officers’ directions, and expect delays.

Travellers are advised to plan their journeys accordingly.

Emergency Contacts

Road Policing: 0550323323 / 02755000156

General Emergencies: 122 / 18555

WhatsApp Alerts (videos/images): 0206639121

Social Media: @GhPoliceService (Facebook/Twitter)

Source: Ghanatodayonline.com