Deputy Minister of Roads and Highways Alhassan Suhuyini has expressed confidence that the Accra-Kumasi Expressway will be completed by December 2027, despite concerns over the scale of the project, citing rapid progress on preparatory works and secured funding as key reasons for optimism.
“We have marching orders from the President to deliver this route by the end of December 2027, and we are working towards it,” Mr Suhuyini said on Eyewitness News on Friday, September 18, 2026. “If you are assessing it based on the attitude of doing the impossible at once, then have confidence.”
Military Completes Right-of-Way Clearance Ahead of Schedule
The government’s confidence is anchored in the rapid completion of the right-of-way clearance, a critical preparatory phase for the project. The Ghana Armed Forces completed the clearance of a 175.6-kilometre corridor in just 19 weeks, one week ahead of the original 20-week schedule. The cleared corridor runs from Ablekuma in the Greater Accra Region to Sewua in the Ashanti Region.
The 48 Engineer Regiment of the Ghana Armed Forces, which led the clearing exercise, navigated dense forest, crossed rivers and streams, and prepared the alignment for the planned 198.7-kilometre expressway. President John Dramani Mahama, who presided over the formal handover of the cleared right-of-way at Kwaso, near Ejisu in the Ashanti Region, commended the Armed Forces for their efficiency and discipline.
President Mahama has also directed the Ministry of Roads and Highways to engage the Ghana Armed Forces Engineers as a major subcontractor on the project, building on the military’s role in clearing the right-of-way, and indicated plans to confer a national honour on the unit in recognition of its contribution.
$2 Billion Secured as Government Insists Funds Are Domestic
The availability of funding is another factor underpinning the government’s confidence. President Mahama has announced that an initial $2 billion in domestic funds has been secured and deposited in a special account at the Bank of Ghana to support the start of construction. The government has insisted the funds are domestic resources rather than borrowed money.
The Minister for Finance, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to mobilising the full funding required for the project from domestic sources by the end of December 2026, stating that “not a single pesewa will be borrowed for this project.” He said the financing arrangements would be structured without adding to the country’s public debt.
The government has said the full funding requirement is expected to be mobilised by the end of 2026, while construction is expected to begin before the end of the year following the procurement and contractor-selection process. Dr Forson noted that this could be one of the first major infrastructure projects in Ghana to have its full funding secured before construction begins.
A 50-Year Concession and Ghana’s First True Expressway
The Accra-Kumasi Expressway is a 198.7-kilometre, six-lane, high-speed motorway designed to connect Ghana’s two largest cities. It will feature eight interchanges and will be Ghana’s first true expressway, with limited access points, higher speed limits, and modern safety infrastructure.
The project is structured as a long-term concession of up to 50 years. The Accra-Kumasi Expressway Limited, a subsidiary of the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF), has been appointed as the Concessionaire, mandated to handle the entire lifecycle of the project—design, finance, construction, operation, and maintenance. The Ministry of Roads and Highways is the Contracting Authority.
The expressway is expected to reduce travel time between Accra and Kumasi from roughly five to six hours to about two hours once completed. It is also expected to shorten the road distance between the two cities and improve the movement of people and goods along one of Ghana’s busiest transport corridors.
The route will connect the Greater Accra, Eastern, and Ashanti Regions through key communities including Ablekuma, Adiembra, Adeiso, Asamankese, Anamase, Akim Oda, Ayirebi, Ofoase, Enikawkaw, Gyadamua, Asante Achiase, Kwaso, and Sawua.
Economic Transformation: 30,000 Jobs and a New Economic Corridor
Beyond improving transportation, the project is expected to serve as a major economic corridor, facilitating the movement of people and goods while supporting domestic commerce and regional trade. Finance Minister Dr Ato Forson has said the construction of the expressway is expected to create about 30,000 direct and indirect jobs for Ghanaians.
The project is also expected to support industrial parks, logistics hubs, and other businesses along the route, boosting Ghana’s 24-Hour Economy and national competitiveness. It is viewed as a vital artery that will connect the heart of Ghana’s maritime gateway in Tema to the economic potential of the Sahel.
Dr Theo Acheampong, an economist, has described the 30,000 job creation projection as “even conservative,” suggesting the actual economic impact could be even greater.
Concerns and Expert Caution
While the government remains optimistic, the project has not been without its critics. The Ghana Institution of Engineering (GhIE) has described the plan to construct a new expressway as “ill-advised” when the existing Accra-Kumasi highway dualisation project is not yet completed. GhIE President Ludwig Annang Hesse explained that a sustainable project of such magnitude requires at least five years of engineering assessments and ground preparations.
The President of the Ghana Institute of Architects, Tony Asare, has also cast doubt on the feasibility of completing the Accra-Kumasi Expressway within a short timeframe.
Policy analyst and Engineer Kosi Dedey has urged the government to reconsider its approach to addressing the long-standing transport challenges on the Accra-Kumasi corridor, arguing that the expressway is not the solution.
The government has, however, maintained that the project is on track. Roads Minister Governs Kwame Agbodza has stressed that quality, value for money, and timely delivery would be non-negotiable in the execution of the project, calling for the expressway to be constructed to international standards and managed as a long-term national asset.
The project, which officials have described as the single largest capital investment by any administration in Ghana’s history, represents a critical test of the government’s ability to deliver on its flagship infrastructure promises. For now, the Deputy Minister’s announcement signals that the project is moving from preparatory works to the construction phase—and that Ghanaians may soon see tangible progress on what is envisioned as a transformative national artery.
