CUTS International, a policy and research think tank, has urged government to boost allocations for road upkeep in the 2026 Mid-Year Budget Review, pointing to extensive damage to roads nationwide after recent heavy downpours.
The group said roads, bridges and drainage infrastructure have worsened sharply. In many areas, potholes have expanded into large trenches, hampering movement, raising car repair bills and dragging on economic activity.
West Africa Regional Director for CUTS International, Appiah Kusi Adomako, said the crisis demands immediate action, not a wait-and-see approach.
“Ghanaians are bearing the cost of failing roads daily. They lose time in traffic, spend more on vehicle repairs, burn extra fuel and face greater danger on the road. This has gone beyond small potholes. In several places, roads are collapsing and government needs to act with urgency,” he stated.
CUTS noted that while dry-season works are ideal for maintenance, the current level of decay means parts of the network need emergency repairs now to keep them passable and safe.
The think tank warned that stopgap patching of potholes won’t last, since poor drainage, weak sub-bases and recurrent floods keep destroying fixed sections.
It’s calling on government to focus on comprehensive maintenance, drainage upgrades, bridge repairs and tighter oversight of road contracts. While applauding government’s “Big Push” initiative for new road projects, CUTS cautioned against neglecting old roads that are falling apart.
“A road network is only as strong as its weakest link. New roads matter, but existing ones must be preserved. We can’t build new routes while letting older ones crumble,” Adomako added.
CUTS stressed that maintaining roads is one of the most efficient ways to safeguard public funds and ease long-term costs for road users. The organisation acknowledged that government set aside about GH¢3.0 billion for the Ghana Road Maintenance Trust Fund in the 2026 Budget, down slightly from an estimated GH¢3.1 billion in 2025.
But it said the destruction from the rains means extra funds are needed in the mid-year review.Existing funding streams, it argued, won’t cover the scale of damage reported nationwide.
