- Valco–Kpone Road Crisis Threatens Ghana’s Fuel Supply Chain as Tanker Drivers Warn of Fresh Strike
The deteriorating condition of the 7.2-kilometre Valco Roundabout–Kpone Junction road in Tema is emerging as a growing threat to Ghana’s fuel distribution, industrial productivity and road safety, as petroleum tanker drivers warn that years of unfulfilled promises could force them into another strike.
The stretch, which serves one of Ghana’s most important industrial and petroleum corridors, has deteriorated to the point where motorists say journeys that should ordinarily take less than 30 minutes can now stretch beyond three hours during periods of heavy congestion.
As of August 30, 2026, there was little visible evidence of sustained construction activity despite repeated assurances from authorities that the road would be rehabilitated.
For tanker and truck drivers who depend on the route daily, the problem has moved beyond inconvenience.
The poor surface forces heavy vehicles to manoeuvre around deep potholes and broken sections, slowing traffic, increasing fuel consumption and causing frequent vehicle breakdowns.
For drivers carrying petroleum products, the risks are even more serious.
Members of the Ghana Petroleum Tanker Drivers Union have warned that they could embark on another sit-down strike if the condition of the road is not addressed.
National Chairman George Nyaunu has questioned how long authorities expect contractors to take to complete a project whose deterioration is imposing increasing costs on drivers and businesses.
The drivers’ concern is rooted in safety as much as economics.
Fuel tankers carrying highly inflammable products are being forced to navigate damaged road sections alongside container trucks, private vehicles and motorcycles.
Drivers fear that a tanker could overturn or collide with another vehicle, creating the risk of fire or explosion in an area densely populated by industrial and petroleum facilities.
That makes the Valco–Kpone road far more than a local transport route.
The corridor serves major industrial and energy facilities including Volta Aluminium Company Limited, Tema Tank Farm, Quantum Oil, Chase Petroleum, Olam, Aluworks, Sunon Asogli Power Plant and Kpone Thermal Power Station, alongside warehouses and other businesses.
Thousands of litres of petroleum products move through the area, while the road also supports the movement of industrial materials and commercial cargo from the Tema enclave to other parts of the country.
Any prolonged disruption therefore carries implications well beyond the immediate communities.
A tanker drivers’ strike, for example, could affect fuel distribution to regions including Ashanti, Western and Northern Ghana, particularly because drivers say roads used for petroleum haulage towards Takoradi, Kumasi and Buipe are also in poor condition.
Long delays mean trucks burn more fuel while idling in traffic, operators complete fewer trips each day and vehicle owners face higher maintenance bills.
Motorists complain of repeated damage to tyres, suspension systems and other parts, while businesses along the corridor face longer delivery times and less predictable logistics.
For an industrial enclave that depends on the movement of large volumes of goods, that loss of time translates directly into higher operating costs and lower productivity. The condition of the road also raises broader questions about Ghana’s infrastructure priorities.
Industrial policy frequently focuses on attracting investment, expanding manufacturing and reducing logistics costs.
But those ambitions depend heavily on the quality of basic transport infrastructure. A factory can invest in machinery, technology and workers, but if the road linking it to ports, suppliers and customers is barely passable, part of the productivity gain is lost before goods even leave the premises.
The Valco–Kpone corridor is a clear example of that contradiction. Ghana wants Tema to remain a major industrial and logistics hub, yet one of the key roads serving the enclave continues to impose delays that businesses and transporters say are becoming increasingly difficult to absorb.
Water collects in potholes, obscuring their depth and increasing the risk of damage and accidents.
Broken-down trucks then reduce already limited road space, compounding congestion and turning what should be a short journey into hours of delay.
The frustration is deepened by the history of promises around the road. The Ministry of Roads and Highways cut sod for reconstruction of the stretch in August 2020, while further assurances were given in 2023 that the road would be fixed.
There have been periods of grading and levelling, but motorists say those interventions have not produced a durable solution.
Tema Mayor Yohane Amarh Ashitey previously acknowledged that a contractor had undertaken some levelling and grading but would require funding to return and complete the project.
For road users, that history is increasingly becoming part of the problem. Each new assurance carries less credibility when visible construction does not follow.
Government accountability therefore now matters as much as engineering. If funding is the constraint, authorities need to explain clearly when money will be released, which contractor is responsible and what the revised completion timetable is.
If the project has stalled for another reason, motorists and businesses deserve to know why.
The absence of clear timelines increases uncertainty for companies that must plan logistics around the corridor and for drivers whose livelihoods depend on using it.
The prospect of a tanker drivers’ strike raises the stakes further. Industrial action would not merely inconvenience Tema residents. It could disrupt fuel movement, commercial transport and other economic activities across the country, turning a neglected road project into a national supply-chain problem.
That is why the road should now be treated as strategic infrastructure rather than another delayed rehabilitation project.
Its condition affects energy security, industrial efficiency, road safety and the competitiveness of one of Ghana’s most important commercial zones.
After years of promises, tanker drivers, motorists and businesses are increasingly asking for something more concrete than another assurance.
With journeys taking hours instead of minutes, trucks breaking down regularly and the threat of renewed industrial action growing, the Valco–Kpone road has reached a point where delay itself is becoming an economic cost.
For those who use the corridor every day, the message is simple: the problem no longer requires another announcement. It requires visible construction and completion.
