Roads and Highways Minister, Kwame Governs Agbodza, has made a strong case for shifting the transportation of bauxite and manganese from roads to railways, citing the severe damage haulage trucks are causing to the Tarkwa-Takoradi road.

Speaking during an inspection of the ongoing Takoradi-Agona Nkwanta road project, the Minister expressed frustration over the continued use of highways by mining companies despite the long-term deterioration they cause.

“The companies whose trucks are destroying the road barely contribute to the revenue. Some of them claim to be making losses on their balance sheets for the past five years. If a business is loss-making for that long, it’s questionable why it should continue operating,” Mr. Agbodza said.

He stressed that the road, funded with public resources, should not be left to deteriorate because of poor logistical decisions. “The bottom line is that this road is funded by taxpayers like you and me. Are we willing to see it deteriorate within two years and then look for more funding? I don’t think that’s a responsible way to manage things.”

The Minister argued that rail remains the most efficient and sustainable option for transporting heavy minerals and urged mining firms to revert to its use. “We’re escalating discussions about axle loads on this and other roads to a certain level and will make a decision. For miners, the solution is straightforward – they used to transport goods to the port by rail. Most countries use this method,” he noted.

He concluded: “I believe we’ve reached a point where we need to say that if companies are interested in working with bauxite and manganese, they should collaborate with stakeholders to transport their goods to the port by rail instead of road. It’s time we make that decision.”

Meanwhile, work on the 23-kilometre Takoradi to Agona Junction road is steadily progressing. Justmoh Construction Limited, the contractor on the project, has completed 50.82% of the work, slightly ahead of the planned schedule.

According to the Western Regional Highways Engineer, Kofi Adjei Frimpong, two of the four planned concrete bridges—located at Apremdo and Ewusiejoe—have already been completed and opened to traffic.

“We’re recycling the existing asphalt. The contractor has acquired specialized equipment for this purpose. We recycle, mix it with cement to form the sub-base, and then add the base and asphalt,” he explained.

However, the engineer raised concerns about delayed compensations, revealing that about GH₵35 million is still owed to residents and utility companies, which is affecting progress in some communities.

Though three payment certificates have been submitted, the contractor is yet to receive any funds. Dr. Justice Amoh, CEO of Justmoh Construction, emphasized that timely payments are crucial to meeting project deadlines. “We could have done better if we had received some payments,” he said.

Minister Agbodza, who expressed satisfaction with the quality of work, assured that the ministry is working to release funds and commended the contractor for staying committed to the project timeline.