A day after The Fourth Estate published a report detailing the suffering of commuters and residents along the Kulaa Bridge to Timber Market stretch of the Bolgatanga-Bawku-Polimakom highway, construction company Rango has mobilised to the site and begun work.

The intervention comes after years of stalled construction on the about-one-kilometre stretch, where thick clouds of dust, potholes and poor road conditions have caused accidents, disrupted businesses and exposed commuters and residents to health risks.

Rango Construction is expected to water the road to suppress dust, regravel the deteriorated section, lay bitumen and connect the road to the old steel bridge currently being used by motorists.

Bolgatanga East District Chief Executive, Jacob Aka-eri told The Fourth Estate that the Ministry of Roads and Highways deployed the contractor to undertake temporary repairs to ease the difficulties faced by road users.

He explained that the intervention would not include the completion of the new steel bridge, which remains under construction as part of the larger Bolgatanga-Bawku-Polimakom highway project.

According to Aka-eri, the original contractor, Queiroz Galvão, is expected to return to the site to complete the outstanding works once a financial agreement is reached with the Ministry of Roads and Highways.

When The Fourth Estate visited the stretch following Rango’s mobilisation, a water tanker was continuously sprinkling water on the road, significantly reducing the dust that commuters had endured for months.

Other earthmoving equipment and road compactors were also seen working on portions of the road.

Background

The Kulaa Bridge forms part of the 116-kilometre Bolgatanga-Bawku-Polimakom highway, whose reconstruction has stalled for years amid financing difficulties.

The highway connects the Upper East Regional capital to several districts, including Bolgatanga East, Nabdam and Bawku West, as well as communities across the Bawku enclave.

Construction began in 2016, but successive financing difficulties, compounded by Ghana’s debt restructuring, disrupted the project.

In September 2025, The Fourth Estate reported that GHS759.47 million had been disbursed for the project as of December 2024, yet significant portions of the highway remained unfinished.

The prolonged delay has left residents along the Kulaa Bridge to Timber Market stretch bearing the consequences of a project that was expected to improve connectivity and ease transportation across the region.