BY GRACE ZIGAH
The long-planned Accra-Kumasi Expressway has moved closer to actual construction following the handover of the cleared right-of-way by the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) to the Ministry of Roads and Highways.
The handover marks a major milestone in the development of the proposed 175.6-kilometre Accra-Kumasi Expressway, which is expected to become Ghana’s first six-lane, access-controlled tolled expressway.
The project is designed to facilitate faster movement between Accra and Kumasi, Ghana’s two major economic hubs, while easing pressure on the existing route. With a design speed of up to 120 kilometres per hour, the expressway is expected to reduce travel time between the two cities by about 50 per cent by providing an alternative route that bypasses severe congestion along the existing corridor.
Although the original assignment covered 175.6 kilometres, the Ghana Armed Forces said it ultimately cleared 183.6 kilometres, exceeding the initial target within 19 weeks.
The achievement has earned the military praise from President John Dramani Mahama, who has indicated that the 48 Engineer Regiment of the Ghana Armed Forces should play a major role as a subcontractor on the project.
“I have asked the Minister of Roads and Highways to incorporate the Engineer Regiment of the Ghana Armed Forces as the major sub-contractor to the main contractor on this Accra-Kumasi Expressway,” President Mahama said.
The President also directed the Roads and Highways Ministry to deploy the Engineer Regiment to the Greater Accra area to establish and clear the right-of-way for the proposed Greater Accra Ring Road.
He said the military had demonstrated its capacity to undertake major infrastructure-related assignments and expressed confidence in its ability to contribute to Ghana’s development.
“The Ghana Armed Forces are capable, and I have absolute trust in their ability to help this country in its infrastructural development,” he said.
President Mahama said his administration would increasingly involve the Armed Forces in civilian development activities, particularly road and building construction as well as agriculture.
“Going forward, we are going to involve you more in civilian activities, especially in road and building construction, as well as in agriculture,” he said.
He also commended the military for the work undertaken on the expressway corridor and indicated that the nation would recognise its contribution at the 70th anniversary national awards day.
$2bn secured for commencement
President Mahama further disclosed that US$2 billion had already been placed in a special account for the commencement of the expressway project, with the amount expected to increase to US$4 billion by the end of the year to fully finance the project.
“When the project starts, money is not going to be a challenge. All certificates presented by the contractor will be paid instantly,” he said.
The assurance is intended to address one of the major challenges that have historically affected large infrastructure projects in Ghana—delays in payments and the consequent interruptions to construction.
The project, when completed, will be managed by Accra-Kumasi Expressway Limited, a special purpose vehicle established by the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF).
The expressway will pass through a number of communities along the Accra-Kumasi corridor, including Adeiso, Asamankese, Akim Oda, Ofoase and Kwaso.
The design also includes eight interchanges and three major bridges crossing the Birim and Pra rivers, forming part of the infrastructure required to facilitate controlled and uninterrupted movement along the route.
The development is expected to transform transportation between the country’s southern and central economic centres while providing a modern alternative to the existing N6 corridor.
Mahama outlines wider transport vision
President Mahama said the Accra-Kumasi project forms part of a broader vision to develop an integrated road network capable of connecting different parts of Ghana and facilitating the movement of people and goods.
He said his long-term objective was to see an expressway connection stretching from Aflao in the Volta Region to Elubo in the Western Region, while eventually extending the Accra-Kumasi Expressway further north.
According to the President, efficient transportation corridors are essential to economic development because they allow goods and passengers to move more easily across the country.
He linked the vision to Ghana’s early post-independence infrastructure development under Dr Kwame Nkrumah, particularly the construction of the first motorway connecting Accra, the national capital, to Tema, the country’s industrial hub.
“For all countries that have grown great, they achieved such a feat because they opened the transportation corridor for passengers and goods to move freely across their countries,” President Mahama stated.
He said the government was also pursuing improvements to other major transport corridors, indicating that work on the eastern corridor road project was expected to be completed next year before attention shifts towards the western corridor.
The objective, he said, is to establish a road network that makes it easier and more efficient to transport goods and passengers throughout Ghana.
Roads Minister: Existing N6 under growing pressure
The Minister of Roads and Highways, Kwame Governs Agbodza, said the need for a new high-capacity road between Accra and Kumasi had become increasingly urgent as the existing corridor continues to carry a disproportionate share of national traffic.
He attributed the growing pressure to population growth, increased freight movement and expanding commercial activities along the route.
According to him, the solution could no longer be limited to repeatedly patching the existing road or carrying out incremental widening works.
Agbodza said Ghana required a long-term strategy for developing its road network and described the Accra-Kumasi Expressway as an important component of that broader strategy.
He explained that the project had been designed specifically to facilitate controlled traffic and high-speed movement along the corridor.
Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson said the handover of the cleared right-of-way had removed a major obstacle to the commencement of construction.
He said the project is expected to improve road safety while reducing both travel time and transportation costs along the Accra-Kumasi corridor.
Dr Ato Forson assured Ghanaians that the full financing required for the project would be available by the end of the year.
He also disclosed that the expressway would become the first major task of the Value for Money Office, signalling government’s intention to subject the project to scrutiny over its costs and expected benefits.
“We will ensure that cost is justified and every cedi delivers value. This expressway will serve generations yet unborn,” the Finance Minister said.
The statement places emphasis on ensuring that the substantial public investment in the project translates into measurable infrastructure and economic benefits.
GAF exceeds clearing target
The Director of Engineering Services of the Ghana Armed Forces, Brigadier-General Jonas Wiafe, said the military was initially tasked with clearing approximately 176 kilometres of the right-of-way within the stipulated period.
However, he said the Armed Forces exceeded the target by clearing 183.6 kilometres.
The exercise involved preparing the corridor ahead of the commencement of construction and resolving right-of-way issues along the route.
Brigadier-General Wiafe also disclosed that compensation payments to affected farmers had begun.
He said the first tranche of compensation had been paid to 469 farmers, with the process continuing based on valuation data supplied by the Ministry of Roads and Highways.
According to him, individual payments ranged from GH¢1,500 to GH¢350,000, depending on the valuation of the affected properties and farms.
The ongoing compensation exercise is expected to form part of the process of securing the corridor for construction and addressing claims arising from the acquisition of land for the expressway.
