Life for residents and workers along the Adentan–Dodowa road was upended in 2024. A routine upgrade scheduled to take three years has left the community covered in dust and harmful pollutants, putting thousands of lives at risk.

The project stalled early on, and experts say the failure to pay the contractor on time has led to delays that may mean this misery continues for the community even longer.

The project is just one of many roadworks under the government's "Big Push" infrastructure development programme across the country that are taking longer than promised. Delays, often caused by missed government payments to contractors, are leaving millions of Ghanaians exposed to increased risks of diseases linked to air pollution, such as asthma, heart disease, cancer and diabetes.

"Here in Ghana, we don't implement engineering projects well, especially government of Ghana-funded projects," said Joseph Odei, a fellow of the Ghana Institution of Engineers. He said poor oversight and corruption are among the reasons projects are delayed. "They delay paying contractors, so they face challenges and vacate the project."

The 22-kilometre Adentan–Dodowa dual carriageway stretches from the Adentan Barrier through Katamanso, Oyibi and Gbortsui to the Dodowa Hospital Junction. The project is expected to ease traffic congestion between the Greater Accra, Eastern and Volta regions while improving road safety and reducing travel time. Experts agree it would boost economic activity in the region.

The contract was awarded in March 2024 to the Ghanaian company Oswal Investments under a 36-month agreement. Inspecting the project a year later, Kwame Agbodza, Minister for Roads and Highways, conceded that the project had stalled, blaming the previous government's failure to make agreed payments. Mr Agbodza said the Mahama government had settled the outstanding payments.

Gabriel Foli, project manager for Oswal Investments, declined to comment for this story, but in July he told Channel One TV that delays were caused by property acquisition, negotiations over compensation for owners and the relocation of utility lines. He assured the public that the project was two-thirds complete and on track to be finished by March 2027.

For residents, the roadworks are taking a heavy toll. People here are well aware of the dangers.

Mary Adjiele, 50, says three of her grandchildren have developed severe coughs accompanied by high fevers since the work began. The family has been forced to spend much of its income on medical treatment at Alpha and Omega Hospital in Dodowa.

"Cough with blood," Adjiele said in Twi. "It is small streaks or drops of bright red blood that come with mucus from three of my grandchildren. The money we use for our business and family upkeep is now going into hospital bills."

Health experts warn that prolonged exposure to dust particles is dangerous. Fine particulate matter can enter the bloodstream, increasing the risk of chronic illnesses, including kidney and heart diseases, diabetes and cancer.

"Road dust often has fine particles, cement, silica and vehicle exhaust," said Dorcas Effah Agyeiwaa, a public health nurse at the community's Amamorley Clinic. "When we breathe it in, it can irritate our airways and make asthma worse. That irritation can cause the blood vessels in the airways to break and lead to blood in the cough."

Health authorities say infrastructure development in Ghana is necessary to boost economic activity, but the health impacts cannot be ignored. They say communities across the country should not be left to deal with the health consequences of delays caused by government failures.

The Ghana Health Service reports increasing cases of respiratory illnesses across the Greater Accra Region. According to Dr Robert Amesiya, Greater Accra Regional Director of Health Services, in the two years to 2023, hypertension – a disease closely linked to air pollution – was the fifth-highest cause of death in Accra, claiming 200 lives, while nearly 40,000 cases were reported. Asthma and cardiac cases also increased.

"We thank the government for building the roads for our safety," said Dr Amesiya in Twi. "But the dust on the construction roads is too much."

A spare-parts dealer operating along the road says the thick dust has made every working day a health challenge. Concerned about his wife's worsening asthma and persistent coughing, he has asked her to stop assisting him at the shop.

"We sell car parts, but the dust has filled my wife's and my nose," the dealer said in Twi. "I clean my shop every 20 minutes, but the dust keeps coming back. My wife has been coughing continuously. We have nowhere else to go because this business is our livelihood. We humbly appeal to the government to asphalt the road to reduce the dust. Our health matters too."

Provision shop owner Serwaa Ansah Opoku says the dust has left her battling constant illness.

"Because of the dust on the road, when we wear our clothes, it turns brown," she said in Twi. "We keep getting headaches. We take local herbal medicine and the drugs our doctors prescribed for us to take care of the headaches and blood pressure."

While waakye vendor Hamdia Ishmahill, a student, reports frequent coughs that have affected her business.

"It worries me. The dust has reduced our customers who buy waakye from us," the student said in Twi. "My mum is not able to come to the wayside to sell. I'm a student, so I normally come to support her. I always get coughs. But because people complain there is no food around, I'm forced to sell in the dust."

Traditional leaders are equally worried. Chief Adjie Kwashie, Linguist of Adenta Frafraha, said asthma cases within the community are increasing, with many residents complaining of worsening respiratory conditions. The traditional palace has been suspended because of the unhealthy environment.

"We have elderly people who come to our palace reporting cases of asthma," said Chief Kwashie in Twi. "We've asked them to tell the contractor to continue watering the road to reduce the dust. We've also reached out to the workers constructing the road. Once in a while, they come to sprinkle water on the road. We need asphalt on our road."

During his April 2026 visit, the Minister directed the contractor to regularly sprinkle water on the road to minimise dust and reduce its impact on surrounding communities, stressing that protecting residents' health remains the responsibility of the contractor.

"We expect a lot more speed," Minister Agbodza said in Twi, speaking with engineers and the contractor. "This is another very important corridor which, when completed, will help significantly. So pay attention to it. While you are doing it, the dust will be to the minimum. We know it is difficult. We know it's not easy to water continuously, but that is your responsibility, so don't run away from it."

Ella Christine Esinam Nongo, Municipal Chief Executive for Adentan, has assured residents that the Assembly and the contractor are working together to reduce dust pollution.

"Residents, please be a little patient with us," an Assembly official said in Twi. "If the contractors come to fix it and there are still potholes, the same people will not be happy with us. We beg you. Since we have endured bad roads for a long time, give us a little time to fix it. Anytime the contractor is not around, the Assembly sprinkles water on the road."

Dr Amesiya urged residents to wear nose masks to minimise exposure to dust while efforts continue to control pollution along the construction corridor.

This story is a collaboration with New Narratives as part of the Clean Air Reporting project. Funding was provided by the Clean Air Fund, which had no say in the story's content.