Motorists and commuters plying the 67-kilometre Agona Nkwanta to Tarkwa road are currently experiencing massive traffic congestion, as the contractor, Gabriel Couto-Rango Consortium, has commenced repair and rehabilitation works on that stretch.
The rehabilitation exercise, which involves patching potholes and resurfacing damaged portions of the carriageway, has slowed down vehicular movement considerably, leading to long queues of vehicles stretching several kilometres.
The contractor has therefore appealed to road users to reduce their speed and exercise patience in order to give the working team enough time to address the numerous defects on the road.
The Gabriel Couto-Rango Consortium had previously promised the Deputy Minister for Roads and Highways, Alhassan Sayibu Suhuyini, to undertake the rehabilitation and repair work at its own cost to rectify the damage.
This commitment was made during a stakeholders’ meeting held in February 2026 following public outcry over the poor state of the road.
In line with that directive, the contractor has since mobilised to site and commenced work under the strict supervision of engineers from the Ghana Highways Authority.
The newly constructed 67-kilometre Agona Nkwanta to Tarkwa road, after its completion and commissioning in 2024, began deteriorating just a few months later.
The rapid decay sparked widespread public outcry and raised serious questions about its durability and the quality of materials used in its construction.
In response to the backlash, the Gabriel Couto-Rango Consortium has attributed the rapid decay to excessive overloading by heavy-duty trucks, specifically those carrying manganese and bauxite from mining areas in the region, rather than faulty construction or substandard materials.
The contractor maintains that the structural failure is due to load pressures far exceeding the road’s design capacity, and has urged stakeholders, including mining companies and transport unions, to cooperate in ensuring that axle load limits are strictly observed.
Meanwhile, commuters and commercial drivers have expressed mixed reactions to the ongoing repairs. While many are relieved that work has finally commenced, others have lamented the long delays at various sections of the road, which is affecting travel time and increasing transportation costs.
Some residents have also called on the government to ensure that the rehabilitation is done to the highest standards to prevent a recurrence of the same problems in the near future.
The Ghana Highways Authority has assured the public that the repairs will be completed as scheduled and that measures will be put in place to monitor the durability of the road post-rehabilitation.
By Ebenezer Atiemo
