Wa-Sawla road traders seek relocation sites before end-October demolition
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Traders along the Wa-Sawla road in Ghana's Upper West Region want alternative trading spaces before the Ghana Highway Authority's end-of-October deadline for removing structures to make way for a 25-kilometre dualisation project.
Traders along the Wa-Sawla road in the Upper West Region are appealing to the government to provide alternative trading spaces ahead of a planned demolition to make way for a road dualisation project.
The Ghana Highway Authority has directed that affected structures be removed by the end of October 2026 to allow construction to proceed. The 25-kilometre project involves road widening, drainage and culvert construction, with an initial nine-kilometre stretch planned for dualisation beyond the University for Development Studies area.
Work began in January 2026 and the contractor is expected to complete the project within 36 months. Upper West Regional Director of Highways Damadi Lavestone said drainage, culvert and road-widening works were ongoing, but structures marked for demolition had to be cleared.
"The first nine kilometres are going to be dualised, that is from Wa towards Sawla. Work is actually actively ongoing from Sawla up to Yoni," Lavestone said. He added that an evaluation team had marked out structures along the route that will have to be removed.
Some affected traders say they are prepared to vacate their current locations but want alternative spaces where they can continue their businesses. Business owner Moomin Abdulai welcomed the road expansion but appealed for land to be allocated to the traders. "It is development coming and they are saying we should remove our containers. I love development and it is good that they expand our roads for us, so I don't have a problem. My only worry is that they should get a place for us to move to and continue our business," he said.