{
  "id": 759234,
  "title": "Joy Sustainability Month: Poor maintenance pushes Ghana’s road ratings from fair to poor – Ghana Institution of Engineering",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/13/joy-sustainability-month-poor-maintenance-pushes-ghanas-road-ratings",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-13T11:07:52.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "MyJoyOnline Ghana",
    "slug": "myjoyonline-ghana",
    "url": "https://www.myjoyonline.com/joy-sustainability-month-poor-maintenance-pushes-ghanas-road-ratings-from-fair-to-poor-ghana-institution-of-engineering/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Ghana's road infrastructure has deteriorated significantly, sliding from a D3 rating in 2016 to an E1 rating in the latest 2026 Ghana infrastructure scorecard, according to the Ghana Institution of Engineering (GhIE). This places the sector in the poor category, highlighting the urgent need for action. The Vice President and Chair of the Public Accountability Committee of GhIE, Ing. Dr. Patrick Amoah Bekoe, has attributed this decline to poor funding, inadequate maintenance, and weak asset management. He emphasized that the country's focus has been on new construction projects rather than preserving existing roads, which has led to the neglect of maintenance for existing assets. Ing. Dr. Amoah Bekoe highlighted the issue of significant arrears owed to road contractors, which had reached over 17 billion by the end of 2014. These unpaid arrears have affected the contractors' ability to work on projects, leading to prolonged roadworks and deteriorated roads. He stressed that the road fund should primarily be used for maintenance rather than major rehabilitation, as regular maintenance is more cost-effective and practical. Overloaded vehicles also contribute to the rapid deterioration of roads, exacerbating the problem. The degradation of road infrastructure directly impacts ordinary Ghanaians, causing longer travel times and reduced productivity. Ing. Dr. Amoah Bekoe urged the media and public to focus on maintenance rather than solely new projects, appealing to journalists to ask leaders about the preservation of existing infrastructure. He welcomed the restructuring of the Road Fund into a Road Maintenance Trust Fund, expressing hope that this new approach will lead to improved road maintenance if properly implemented.",
  "summary": "Vice President and Chair of the Public Accountability Committee of the Ghana Institution of Engineering (GhIE), Ing Dr Patrick Amoah Bekoe, has attributed the deterioration of Ghana’s road infrastructure to poor funding, inadequate maintenance and weak asset management.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Ghanaian Times",
        "title": "The commute that pollutes: How Ghana’s poor urban cities are sickening millions",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/13/the-commute-that-pollutes-how-ghanas-poor-urban-cities-are-sickening",
        "published": "2026-08-13T07:38:21.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}