Accra's Cratered Roads: Motorists Navigate Dangerous Potholes as Complaints Go Unanswered

Deep potholes have opened up on major roads and highways across Accra, forcing motorists to swerve dangerously into oncoming traffic, damaging vehicles, and prompting frustrated drivers to accuse authorities of ignoring their repeated calls for repairs.

A visit by MyJoyOnline to affected areas on Thursday revealed the extent of the problem. At the Abeka Lapaz interchange, a portion of the busy outer lane has collapsed into a deep pit that drivers say keeps breaking car axles and forces sudden lane changes—a recipe for accidents during rush hour. On the UPSA road near the University of Ghana Business School, several potholes have made the route difficult for students, lecturers, and residents. At East Legon on the American House main road, potholes are causing heavy congestion as vehicles queue to dodge them. And at the Sakaman Junction traffic light on the Accra-Kasoa Highway, drivers who stop at the light are forced to drive directly over a dangerous pothole when it turns green, damaging tyres and suspensions.

Similar damage was found at New Bortianor and near West Hills Mall, where drivers say the road has deteriorated badly.

A Pattern of Neglect

The complaints echo a broader pattern of road deterioration across the capital that has repeatedly drawn official attention—and repeated promises of repair. In October 2026, the Accra Metropolitan Assembly completed rehabilitation works on Kwame Nkrumah Avenue in the Central Business District after severe potholes developed along the busy corridor . Mayor Michael Kpakpo Allotey inspected the works and urged motorists to drive responsibly to preserve the new surface .

But the interventions have been selective. In June 2026, the Ministry of Roads and Highways ordered urgent repairs on the Ofankor–Achimota stretch after a massive gridlock left commuters stranded for hours. Preliminary assessments identified a pothole and silted drainage as the cause . In October, rehabilitation began on the McCarthy-Mallam section of the Accra-Cape Coast Highway following a petition from the Weija-Gbawe MP, who noted that a journey that should take three minutes could stretch beyond two hours due to potholes .

Funding Shortfalls and Structural Problems

The persistence of the problem reflects deeper challenges in road maintenance funding and drainage infrastructure. The Ghana Chamber of Construction Industry has warned that a GH¢150 million release for pothole patching was "woefully inadequate," noting that some potholes have deteriorated into "manholes and gullies" after months of neglect . The chamber says the government owes road contractors over GH¢15 billion .

Policy think tank CUTS International has urged the government to increase allocations to the Road Fund in the mid-year budget, arguing that temporary patching will not solve the problem because the damage is caused by poor drainage, weak road bases, and repeated flooding . The organisation warned that building new roads while allowing existing ones to fail "will weaken the overall transport system and increase the long-term cost of maintenance" .

Drainage failures have been a recurring culprit. At the Atomic and Ogbodjo roundabouts, blocked gutters cause rainwater to stagnate on road surfaces, weakening asphalt and forming craters. "When the water gets stagnated on the road for a long time, it erodes and leads to potholes," one motor rider told The Fourth Estate . Residents in some areas have taken to filling potholes with sand and stones themselves, only for the patches to wash away within days of rain .

Motorists Bear the Cost

For drivers, the financial burden is immediate. "Within one year, you can change your shocks about three or four times," Sule Yusif, a driver at Madina Main Station, told The Fourth Estate. "If you don't hit potholes, it will take a long time for your shocks to get damaged" .

Motorists who spoke to MyJoyOnline expressed fear for their safety, particularly at night or during heavy rain when water-filled potholes become invisible. They are appealing to the Ghana Highway Authority, the Department of Urban Roads, and the Accra Metropolitan Assembly to act before the damage causes serious accidents or loss of life.

The Ministry of Roads and Highways has previously stated its commitment to addressing road network challenges and has pointed to routine maintenance allocations covering thousands of kilometres of urban roads . But for drivers navigating Accra's cratered arterials daily, the gap between announcement and asphalt remains measured in broken suspensions and near-major roads