Minister for Roads and Highways, Governs Kwame Agbodza, has assured residents and property owners in Osu that the government will not indiscriminately demolish buildings to make way for the proposed coastal road from Tema to Winneba.
According to him, the government is working with architects and other professionals to find a solution that will improve traffic flow while protecting buildings and areas of historical importance within the community.
“No one is just going to go through Osu and demolish everything just because we want to build a road. We are sensitive to things like that,” Mr Agbodza said.
He made the remarks at the 2026 World Architecture Day celebration organised by the Ghana Institute of Architects under the theme, “Housing is a Human Right. Build It.”
Mr Agbodza said roads should not be viewed simply as routes connecting two points, but as infrastructure that affects communities, homes, livelihoods and the environment.
He explained that the proposed road from Tema to Winneba along the coastal corridor has an established alignment, with the major challenge being a 500-metre stretch around Osu.
He said the government has therefore engaged architects, including Architect Deban, to help determine the most appropriate way to address the section without causing unnecessary damage to the community.
The Minister also dismissed suggestions that a one-way traffic arrangement through Osu would completely prevent demolitions. He said such an option would still require sufficient space for vehicles, pedestrians and other road infrastructure and could result in greater disruption to the area.
Mr Agbodza said the government understands concerns over the preservation of Osu’s heritage but noted that traffic management and the protection of important buildings must also be considered in finding a solution.
He assured residents that the project would not involve indiscriminate demolition.
“But Architect Deban and others are helping us to do the best possible to have both cases resolved. So rest assured that we are not going to just go there with dozers and raze down every building,” he said.
