Scrap Thieves Target Asokwa Interchange: Crash Barriers Stolen, Pedestrians at Risk
A brazen wave of vandalism has struck the multimillion-euro Asokwa Interchange in the Ashanti Region, where scrap scavengers are systematically dismantling crash barriers and metal components, turning a vital safety feature into a potential death trap for pedestrians.
Social media posts and eyewitness accounts circulating on December 11, 2025, reveal that thieves are operating under the cover of darkness, pilfering metal pillars, handrails, and heavy barriers along the pedestrian walkways.
The Asokwa Interchange, a flagship infrastructure project completed in recent years to ease congestion on the Kumasi inner ring road, now symbolizes neglect amid economic desperation driving scrap theft.
Local shopkeeper Ama Birago, speaking to GBC Ghana Online, blamed the thefts on impoverished dealers scavenging metal for resale, noting the activity’s “systemic” pattern targeting accessible parts.
Pedestrians, particularly those navigating the walkway from Asokwa-Amakom JHS toward Ahinsan Road, face immediate peril. Without barriers, a misstep could result in fatal falls or collisions with vehicles on the underlying highway.
This incident echoes similar vandalism at interchanges like Obetsebi Lamptey, where thieves stripped handrails and spacers earlier in 2025, leaving barriers precariously hanging.
In September, authorities there urged raids on scrap depots to curb the trend, a measure now desperately needed in Asokwa.
Regional officials have yet to respond publicly, but Ghana Highway Authority sources indicated plans to include the site in ongoing barrier replacement programs.
Residents and road safety advocates are calling for heightened patrols, depot inspections, and stricter penalties to protect this critical asset. Without swift intervention, the interchange risks becoming a hotspot for tragedies amid Ghana’s rising infrastructure sabotage cases.
