8 roads with several sub routes were built by the Ashanti Empire to connect the capital with cities north and south of the empire starting from the 18th century. Ashanti roads were supervised and policed by the government, but the sacred roads of the state received more attention. 4 main roads were directed northwards of the state whiles the other 4 were built south and towards the Coast. The southern roads of the Ashanti Empire fell into decline in the late 19th century and the entire road network was abandoned following British colonization.
Background
Between the 18th and 19th centuries, the Ashanti Empire built and maintained a system of eight roads that emanated from the capital, Kumasi up to the frontiers of the state. The roads were referred to as (Great Roads) by the Ashanti. The Southern roads linked the capital with the series of coastal ports between the Volta and Komoé rivers. The Northern roads led to towns such as Bondoukou, Daboya and Yendi on the frontiers of Greater Asante where they articulated with the Trans-Saharan trade routes in the North. The major roads fell under the auspices of the central government for maintenance whiles the district authorities oversaw the sub and local roads. As noted by Wilks, Larry Yarak suggested in 1990 that Ashanti's roads from Kumase "to Axim via Denkyera, Wasa and Aowin, and from Kumase to Elmina via Denkyera and Twifo were already in use in the first decade of the eighteenth century."
Each of the Great Roads bore a name. They could be named after the ruler who constructed it or the province to which it led to. Halting places were built along the roads to serve as lodges for travelers. These halting places also served as an infrastructure of law enforcement to attend to cases of banditry reported on the roads. Some of these halting places were large as towns whiles others were recorded to contain just a few sheds. Special roads such as the sacred road between Kumasi and Bantama received constant attention and supervision. Such roads were surfaced with stone, weeded regularly and trees were lined along the roads for shade.
In the early 19th century, bridges were made of unhewn trees with rope handrails that stretched from one end of the river to the other. During the reign of Kwaku Dua I around 1841, proper bridges were constructed which Thomas Birch Freeman described the process as:
To construct a road, negotiations had to be drawn first between the government and the chiefs whose land the project would take place. Road wardens known as served as the highway police of these roads and in addition, they collected tolls. An Nkwansrafo station was documented at Mamfe in 1788 and at Ahenkro in 1882 for example. The was the institution responsible for maintaining Ashanti roads. Reindorf states that the institution was first created by Asantehene Kusi Obodom (1750–1764) who "ordered inspectors to be appointed for cleaning roads and paths of the kingdom of nuisances." Asantehene Osei Kwadwo (1764–1777) created the office which translates as "Chief inspector of nuisances and path cleaners." The Akwanmofo was mandated by the central government to make payments to workers hired by the institution for clearing the roads. Thornton comments that the Great Roads improved Ashanti warfare as it allowed for the rapid deployment of the Ashanti army.
Routes
Great Roads of the north
There were four great roads or routes that lead from Kumasi towards northern Ghana. The 1st road linked Kumasi with Bondoukou in the province of Gyaman. The 2nd route emanated from Kumasi and it was exhausted at Gonja. The 3rd route linked Kumasi with the central Gonja provinces of Guipe and Daboya. The 3rd route linked up with a trade route that led to Djenné. The 4th route linked Kumasi with Salaga, Kpembe in Eastern Gonja as well as Yendi. Roads proceeded from Salaga and Yendi towards Zabzugu and at Zabzugu, they merged with caravan routes towards central Sudan. A major branch of the 4th Great Road called Route IV (a) by historian Wilks, led to Kete Krachi from Atebubu according to Bowdich in the early 19th century. Joseph Dupuis wrote in 1824 that this route was the most preferred for transport between Kumasi and Abomey.