Motorists and commuters plying the 67-kilometre Agona Nkwanta to Tarkwa road should expect massive traffic congestion in the coming weeks, as the contractor, Gabriel Couto-Rango Consortium, has announced six months of repair and rehabilitation work on that stretch.
They are therefore encouraging road users on that stretch to reduce their speed in order to give the working team enough time to address most of the issues.
Just months after its commissioning in late 2024, the new 67-kilometre Agona Nkwanta to Tarkwa road is deteriorating, sparking public outcry and raising serious questions about its durability and the quality of materials used.
In response to the backlash, the contractor, Gabriel Couto-Rango Consortium, has attributed the rapid decay to excessive overloading by heavy-duty trucks, specifically those carrying manganese and bauxite, rather than faulty construction.
Speaking at an axle control forum in Tarkwa, the company’s CEO, Theodore Adimazoya, outlined a plan to address the crisis.
He announced that within the next month, the Consortium will collaborate with the MTTD and other stakeholders to introduce traffic management measures.
This initiative is a precursor to the commencement of six months of repair works on the damaged stretch. Mr. Adimazoya has appealed to motorists to exercise patience and reduce their speed to facilitate the repairs.
“So, as road users on the corridor, we will encourage that you reduce your current speed in order to give the working team enough time to manage most of the issues. That phase of the construction, which is the repair of the current pavement, will take about six months. We want to finish this before we get into the rainy season in July and August. Immediately after, we want to undertake pavement strengthening on the road,” he said.
Mr. Adimazoya is also appealing to the Minister of Roads and Highways to consider the dualisation of the 67-kilometre Agona Nkwanta to Tarkwa road to ease traffic congestion, as the government has already commenced the dualisation of the Accra to Agona Nkwanta route.
He said their initial plan for the corridor from 2019 was to dualise it, but that was not possible due to resource constraints under the previous government.
“Our initial plan for this corridor from 2019 was to dualize it from Agona Nkwanta to the Tarkwa township. Unfortunately, resource constraints did not allow us to do so at the time. The government has now dualized the section from Accra to Takoradi, up to Agona Nkwanta.
“We hope that the Ministry of Roads and Highways and the Ghana Highway Authority will consider the density of traffic within Tarkwa, as well as the municipality’s contribution to economic development along the corridor, as key factors in deciding whether to dualize the current section,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Minister for Roads and Highways, Alhassan Sayibu Suhuyini, has commended the contractor for agreeing to undertake rehabilitation and repair work on the road at his own cost to rectify the damages.
According to the Member of Parliament for Tamale North, even a road designed to last ten to fifteen years cannot survive five years of persistent overloading if it is constructed to specification.
He said the technical assessment of the road indicates that it is subjected to more than three times the loading it was designed to carry, resulting in rapid structural failure, premature cracking, and deformation of the pavement.
He therefore commended the contractor for agreeing to commence rehabilitation and repair work on the road to rectify the damages at his own cost.
“It is not common practice for a contractor to undertake the rehabilitation of a failed road at their own cost, purely out of commitment to national interests and long-term partnership. This decision reflects a profound sense of patriotism, professionalism, and corporate responsibility. It also demonstrates confidence in Ghana’s road sector and respect for the people who depend daily on this corridor.
“On behalf of the Ministry of Roads and Highways and the Government of Ghana, we wish to express our sincere appreciation. This gesture sets a commendable example of how the private sector can complement government efforts in safeguarding public infrastructure,” he mentioned.
Western Regional Minister, Joseph Nelson, who thanked the contractor for stepping in to address the challenge, stated that going forward, people should be held accountable. He questioned why trucks continue to overload despite the presence of axle load weighing bridges on that stretch.
“As Regional Minister, I am excited that the road is going to be redone so that it stays in good shape. However, my concern is this: we have the Agona Nkwanta weighing bridge with staff stationed there, and yet overloading continues to happen.
“I think that going forward, the officials responsible should be held accountable for these unacceptable situations in this country.
“We have staff there; the state pays them, and yet trucks are still overloaded. They must bear their share of the responsibility and be made to account.”
Contractor offers to repair damaged sections of Agona Nkwanta-Tarkwa Road Corridor at own cost
By Ebenezer Atiemo
