The Gabriel Couto–Rango Consortium will undertake sectional rehabilitation of the 67 kilometer Agona Nkwanta–Tarkwa road corridor at its own cost over the next six months, with motorists warned to expect significant traffic disruptions due to premature pavement failure caused by persistent axle load violations.
Deputy Minister for Roads and Highways Alhassan Suhuyini announced on Thursday that the contractor agreed to fund repairs despite having completed the original reconstruction project in 2024, describing the initiative as a rare act of corporate responsibility and commitment to national development.
The road suffered structural damage largely from excessive loading by heavy duty mining and haulage vehicles operating along the mineral rich corridor connecting Tarkwa to the Takoradi Port. Suhuyini stated that timelines and traffic management plans would be shared with the public but cautioned that continued axle load violations would cause even newly rehabilitated roads to fail again.
Speaking at a stakeholders’ engagement forum on axle load control and road preservation organized by the Ghana Highway Authority (GHA) in Takoradi, Suhuyini emphasized that axle load limits represent engineering based safeguards designed to ensure roads achieve their intended design life spans. He warned that when these limits are exceeded, pavements deteriorate rapidly, maintenance costs escalate and road safety is compromised.
The Gabriel Couto–Rango Consortium originally reconstructed the Agona Nkwanta–Tarkwa highway under a 95 million euro contract funded by Deutsche Bank AG Frankfurt between 2021 and August 2024. The project was reported at 80 percent completion in April 2024, according to site manager Peter Quarshie during a tour by then Roads and Highways Minister Francis Asenso-Boakye.
The reconstruction included concrete drainage works, pipe and box culverts, a two lane single carriageway to asphalt finish, major traffic management improvements in Tarkwa Township, streetlights, walkways, road markings and signage. The project employed environmentally friendly technology including recycling of existing pavement materials into the new road to save costs, time, energy and aggregates.
The stretch serves as Inter Regional Route 6 under the trunk road system of the Ministry of Roads and Highways, connecting mineral and agriculture rich towns in Western, Ashanti, Western North and Central regions to Takoradi Port. Major mining centers including Bibiani, Sefwi Wiawso, Obuasi, Dunkwa-On-Offin, Ayamfuri and Tarkwa all use this corridor to access Takoradi, Accra and Cote d’Ivoire.
Suhuyini warned truck owners and influential individuals against interfering with enforcement activities at axle load control points, describing such actions as threats to rule of law and national infrastructure. He stated that any attempts to intimidate, coerce or influence enforcement officers to overlook infractions undermine road safety, weaken enforcement and accelerate infrastructure destruction.
The deputy minister emphasized that Ghana loses billions of cedis annually to premature road failures caused by overloaded vehicles, with repair costs far exceeding the revenue collected from fines and fees. He called for stronger penalties and more aggressive enforcement to protect road investments.
Former President Nana Akufo-Addo performed the sod cutting ceremony for the original reconstruction project in October 2021, describing the road as vital infrastructure that would transform Tarkwa into the economic hub of the Western Region. He urged residents to support the project and promised it would eliminate the usual congestion along the road, particularly the chronic traffic problems in Tarkwa’s central business district.
Then Roads and Highways Minister Kwasi Amoako-Atta stated during the sod cutting that the route provides easy connections serving as the shortest and most efficient route for transportation of gold, manganese, bauxite, cocoa, timber and other minerals for onward shipment through Takoradi Port. He noted the government paid serious attention to procurement processes and secured all commercial and financial agreements from Parliament by August 2021.
The Tarkwa–Agona Nkwanta route also intersects National Route 1 at Apimanim in Ahanta West District, which links the Takoradi-Agona-Elubo corridor to Cote d’Ivoire and receives traffic from neighboring Togo. The road’s strategic importance stems from its role facilitating mineral exports and agricultural produce movement from Ghana’s most productive mining and farming regions.
Western Regional Minister Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah commended the contractor’s decision to fund repairs, acknowledging it demonstrates exceptional partnership between government and private sector in infrastructure maintenance. He urged all stakeholders to cooperate during the rehabilitation period to minimize disruptions to businesses and communities along the corridor.
The Ghana Highway Authority operates multiple axle load control stations along major highways including the Agona Nkwanta–Tarkwa corridor to enforce Vehicle Load Restrictions Act 1992, which sets maximum permissible axle loads based on vehicle configuration and axle spacing. Violations attract fines ranging from 500 to 5,000 cedis depending on the extent of overloading.
Transport operators and mining companies frequently clash with enforcement officers over weight restrictions, with some heavy duty vehicle operators arguing that permitted loads make their operations economically unviable. However, highway engineers maintain that excess loading causes exponential damage to road pavements, with damage increasing proportional to the fourth power of axle load increases.
The six month rehabilitation timeline beginning in February 2026 will likely extend through July, coinciding with Ghana’s rainy season when road construction activities typically face weather related challenges. Motorists should expect lane closures, diversions and extended travel times during peak hours as work progresses along various sections of the 67 kilometer stretch.
