The Deputy Minister for Roads and Highways, Alhassan Suhuyini, has attributed the premature deterioration of the newly tarred Tarkwa–Agona-Nkwanta road to heavy-duty trucks exceeding axle load limits while transporting bauxite and manganese from Awaso and Nsuta to the Takoradi Harbour.
Speaking at a stakeholders’ engagement on axle load control and road preservation in Tarkwa on Saturday, February 14, Mr. Suhuyini said the government will not tolerate continued abuse of the road.
The 67-kilometre stretch, redeveloped at a cost of about €95 million, is a key artery for the Western Region and national economy. Yet, less than two years after reconstruction, sections of the road have already suffered severe damage, officials said.
“It is an established fact that the road has experienced premature structural failure to some extent due to overloaded axle,” Mr. Suhuyini warned, adding that attempts to intimidate or manipulate axle load officers would not be tolerated.
Nana Kobina Nketsia, Paramount Chief of the Essikado Traditional Area, described the situation as wasteful, noting that “spending huge sums on road infrastructure only for it to be destroyed by overloaded trucks amounts to draining public funds.”
Mr. Suhuyini thanked the Gabriel Couto-Rango Consortium, the contractor for the road, for agreeing to repair the damaged sections, but stressed that responsible use is critical to prevent further deterioration. The Chief Executive of the Consortium said reconstruction will take six months and appealed to drivers and road users to cooperate.
