Danquah Circle
| Danquah Circle | |
|---|---|
Interactive map of Danquah Circle | |
| Location | |
| Osu, Accra, Ghana[1] | |
| Coordinates | 5°34′0″N 0°10′51″W / 5.56667°N 0.18083°W |
| Construction | |
| Opened | Before 2017[1] |
Danquah Circle is a roundabout and traffic interchange located in Osu, Accra, Ghana. It forms a key node within the city’s arterial road network, linking Ring Road East, Oxford Street and Cantonments Road. The circle was named in honour of J. B. Danquah, a member of The Big Six and a leading figure in Ghana’s independence movement.[2][3]
Danquah Circle is an urban junction that facilitates movement between central Accra, Labadi, Cantonments, and Osu. It serves as both a traffic and cultural landmark, carrying an estimated 28,000 vehicles daily according to the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC).[4]
History
The roundabout dates back to the 1950s when Accra’s early urban planning schemes sought to decongest the central city and improve connectivity toward the newly developing eastern suburbs. It was later dedicated to J. B. Danquah following Ghana’s independence, symbolising national pride and civic honour.[2]
Location
Danquah Circle is located in Osu, Accra, and on the Ako Adjei Interchange to Labadi Road. The roundabout features a bronze statue of Dr. J. B. Danquah, which serves as the focal point of the circle. Around it are cultural sculptures as well as other statues commemorating him alongside the culture of Ghana, such as "Pounding Fufu" and "Drumming the Bongo Drums".[5][6] These monuments have been described as “non-partisan” and historically significant by local historians and civic commentators.[7]
Events
On 26 May 2024, the Department of Urban Roads, under the Ministry of Roads and Highways, began construction near the Danquah Circle, which ended on 29 July of the same year. The construction was in collaboration with the International Hospitals Group and the Ministry of the Interior to improve the drainage system and pedestrian safety near the police station's hospital.[8] On 20 January 2025, GhanaWeb reported that the University of Ghana historian Kweku Darko Ankrah cited the statue at Danquah Circle as non-controversial due to its historical relevance and the critical thinking behind its erection.[9]
References
- ^ a b Kofi Amponsah-Bediako (9 March 2017). "Relevance of JB Danquah to Ghana's 60th Anniversary". graphic.com.
- ^ a b Kofi Amponsah-Bediako (9 March 2017). "Relevance of J.B. Danquah to Ghana's 60th Anniversary". Graphic Online. Retrieved 7 November 2025.
- ^ "Danquah Circle Interchange Development Project - Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC)". gipcghana.com. GIPC. Retrieved 5 February 2015.
- ^ "Danquah Circle Interchange Development Project". GIPC Ghana. Retrieved 7 November 2025.
- ^ "DANQUAH Memorial at Danquah Circle, Accra (Osu)". ghana-net.com. Ghana Net. Archived from the original on 30 May 2013. Retrieved 9 July 2025.
- ^ "Danquah Memorial at Danquah Circle, Accra (Osu)". Ghana-Net.com. Archived from the original on 30 May 2013. Retrieved 7 November 2025.
- ^ Kweku Darko Ankrah (20 January 2025). "Statues should not be partisan – Kweku Darko Ankrah". GhanaWeb. Retrieved 7 November 2025.
- ^ Zurek, Kweku (26 May 2024). "Cantonments: Urban Roads announce month-long traffic disruption around Police Hospital". Retrieved 9 July 2025.
- ^ Kweku Darko Ankrah (20 January 2025). "Statues should not be partisan". GhanaWeb.