Paper short abstract:

This paper analyses the situation of labourers working on, and in the vicinity of, the La Beach Road project in Accra, Ghana. Based on qualitative fieldwork, the paper seeks to add an everyday labour perspective to the growing critical infrastructure literature.

Paper long abstract:

Accra, the capital of Ghana, is experiencing massive investments in road infrastructure, in similarity with many other African capitals. During the last decade, this city has seen the construction of new interchanges, bridges and flyovers as well as numerous road expansions. These projects have generated new income opportunities and acted as magnets for a wide range of economic activities, including street vending, even though temporariness and precariousness pervade such opportunities. Knowledge is however limited on the situation and everyday life of ordinary people labouring in and around roadworks in contemporary urban Africa. This paper analyses the situation and experiences of labourers working on, and in the vicinity of, the La Beach Road expansion project in Accra. It builds on qualitative fieldwork conducted in Accra during November and December 2022, including interviews with road workers, street vendors, government officials, consultants and a union representative as well as observations along the road. The paper discusses the different types of income opportunities that this project has provided; the working conditions within the project; how street vendors along the stretch have been affected (or not) by the road expansion; and workers' perceptions and experiences of the opportunities and challenges provided by this new infrastructure. Given that the studied road project is led by a Chinese company, the paper also pays attention to the relationships between Ghanaian and Chinese workers and managers. The paper seeks to add an everyday labour perspective, sensitive to spatial and temporal variations of work opportunities and experiences, to the growing critical infrastructure literature.