The Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) has directed traders and garage operators along the Abrepo and WESCO sections of the Suame Interchange project corridor to relocate by September 7, 2026, to pave the way for enabling works ahead of the commencement of Phase 1 of the multi-million-dollar infrastructure project.
The relocation order, announced in a press statement on Tuesday, August 25, follows a stakeholder engagement convened by Kumasi Mayor Richard Ofori Agyemang Boadi, which brought together technical officials from the KMA, representatives of the Ashanti Regional Department of Urban Roads, the project consultant, contractor Rango Construction Limited, and affected traders and garage operators.
Affected traders have been directed to relocate to the Race Course Market, while garage operators have been encouraged to contact the Works Engineer at the Race Course Market for assistance in identifying possible relocation sites. The enabling works will include the relocation of Ghana Water Company Limited pipeline infrastructure and Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) lines, as well as preparations for traffic management along the Suame Interchange corridor.
Phase 2 Nearing Completion
The relocation directive comes as Phase 2 of the Suame Interchange Project approaches completion. The KMA disclosed that Phase 2 is currently 87% complete and is expected to be opened to traffic by October 2026. Roads and Highways Minister Kwame Governs Agbodza, during a recent inspection of the project, confirmed the timeline, stating that motorists in the Ashanti Region would be able to use the completed infrastructure during the Christmas period.
Phase 2 includes the construction of three overpasses at Anomangye Junction, Magazine New Road Junction, and Abusuakruwa Junction. The overpasses at Anomangye and Magazine New Road have been completed, while the one at Abusuakruwa Junction is 98.25% complete. Other components include the widening of the Offinso Road (N10) into a 2×3-lane dual carriageway, which is 77% complete, and the construction of 15 kilometres of local roads, of which 13.2 kilometres have been completed.
According to the Director-General of the Department of Urban Roads, Ing. James Oduro Amoo-Gottfried, Phase 2 is being completed ahead of Phase 1 to provide alternative routes for motorists when construction works on the main interchange begin.
Phase 1: The Main Interchange
Phase 1 will involve the construction of the main multi-tier interchange, including an overpass from the Suame Roundabout to Abrepo Junction, as well as the widening of the Eastern and Western Bypass roads. The project also includes the construction of two overpasses at Abrepo Junction and Krofrom Junction.
The Suame Interchange project was initiated under the administration of former President Nana Akufo-Addo to address worsening traffic congestion in Kumasi, Ghana’s second-largest city and a major national transport hub linking the south to the north and the east to the west. The sod was cut in October 2022 for the construction of a four-tier interchange at the Suame roundabout, which was to be the first four-tier interchange in the Ashanti Region and the second in the country after the Pokuase Interchange in the Greater Accra Region.
However, the project has undergone significant modifications. The current administration, under President John Mahama, has revised the design from a four-tier to a three-tier configuration. Roads Minister Agbodza has explained that the modification is necessitated by the construction of the Kumasi Outer Ring Road, which will divert most of the traffic heading north from the city centre. He also cited funding challenges, noting that the full cost of funding the original design was not available after Ghana declared default and went to the IMF, and that the project budget did not include the full cost for relocating utilities and compensating property owners.
The decision to scale down the project has drawn criticism from the Ashanti Caucus in Parliament, which has called on the government to restore the original four-tier design, describing the reduction as “deeply concerning, technically unsound and unfair”. The caucus has warned that a reduced design “will not eliminate traffic conflict points in Kumasi” and “will simply shift congestion from one junction to another”.
Contractor and Project Financing
The Suame Interchange is being executed by Rango Construction Limited, a Ghanaian firm, in a joint venture with Spain’s Grupo Dizmar. The project was initially financed through an Afreximbank facility, and the government has since cleared outstanding debts totalling $25 million owed to the contractor.
The KMA has urged all affected traders, garage operators, and the general public to comply with the relocation directive to facilitate the timely commencement of the enabling works. The Assembly has stressed that the cooperation of affected stakeholders is essential to the successful implementation of the project, which is expected to significantly improve traffic movement and transportation within the Kumasi Metropolis.
