Roads and Highways Minister Governs Kwame Agbodza has announced that major roads constructed under the government’s flagship Big Push infrastructure programme will be tolled once completed and opened to the public, as part of a broader strategy to ensure sustainable financing for road maintenance across the country.
Speaking at the 2026 Transport Sector Review in Ho on Tuesday, Agbodza said the planned Accra-Kumasi Expressway will operate its own dedicated tolling system, with motorists free to choose alternative routes if they wish to avoid the charges .
A New Era of Electronic Tolling
The Minister revealed that Ghana is taking significant steps to modernise revenue mobilisation through technology, following Parliament’s approval of a 20-year public-private partnership concession in July 2026 .
“The government is introducing a multi-lane and free-flow electronic tolling system, and this system will be implemented on every public road that has been improved,” Agbodza stated. “Every interchange in our country will attract the attention of road tolling” .
Under the concession agreement approved by Parliament, the state has partnered with Rock Africa Limited to build and operate a barrier-free, multi-lane free-flow tolling network. The government will receive 70% of gross toll revenues, while the private partner will receive the remaining 30% to cover operational and capital costs .
The contract spans two decades, with the first three years dedicated to design, engineering, and installation, followed by 17 years of active operation. At the end of the 20-year period, the infrastructure will be handed back to the state .
Accra-Kumasi Expressway: A Premium Alternative
The Accra-Kumasi Expressway, a key component of the Big Push programme, will feature its own distinct tolling system separate from the multi-lane free-flow electronic system being deployed on other highways .
“This will be an alternative, you are not obliged to use it,” Agbodza explained. “If we charge $20 for you to travel from Accra to Kumasi, it is not a burden on you. You can conveniently use the existing road that takes you 5 hours or 6 hours, or you can choose to do 2 hours from Accra-Kumasi” .
The Minister emphasised that the revenue generated from tolls would be reinvested into expanding the road network. “We want this project to fully fund itself, and when we take the money, we want to start building from Kumasi towards Tamale. That is the idea of government” .
Contractors have already begun returning to the existing Accra-Kumasi bypasses, with the Minister confirming that all of them will be back on site within weeks to complete that section .
Restricting Heavy-Duty Vehicles
Agbodza also called for policies to restrict some heavy-duty vehicles from using certain public roads, arguing that such measures are necessary to prevent premature deterioration of road infrastructure .
Funding the Big Push
The Big Push infrastructure programme represents the largest coordinated investment in strategic transport infrastructure in recent years, with projects underway in all sixteen regions of the country .
According to Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, 87 transport infrastructure projects have commenced nationwide, comprising 74 trunk roads and bridges, 10 urban roads, and 3 feeder roads. By the end of June 2026, 13 projects had reached at least 50% completion, including six that exceeded 75% completion .
The government allocated more than GH¢13 billion in the programme’s initial phase, with a further GH¢30.8 billion committed this year, bringing total investment in the Big Push to over GH¢40 billion . Approximately 2,500 kilometres of roads are currently under construction nationwide .
Major road corridors under construction include the Kasoa-Winneba, Takoradi-Agona Junction, Ofankor-Nsawam, Adentan-Dodowa, Tema-Aflao, Tepa-Goaso, Penyi-Aflao, Wenchi-Sawla, Atimpoku-Ho-Aflao, Tumu-Han-Lawra, and Winneba-Cape Coast-Takoradi roads, as well as the Suame Interchange Phase II and the Sunyani, Tamale, and Kumasi Outer Ring Roads .
Background: The Return of Road Tolls
Ghana operated road tolls for nearly 40 years before their controversial suspension in November 2021. First introduced in 1985 to generate revenue for road maintenance, the system faced growing concerns over congestion, inefficiencies, and alleged mismanagement. The government scrapped tolls in the 2022 Budget, shifting focus to the E-Levy as an alternative revenue source .
Before their abolition, road tolls contributed approximately GH¢78 million annually to the Ghana Road Fund. However, with road infrastructure facing severe deterioration due to underfunding, the government determined that alternative funding mechanisms were necessary .
The decision to reintroduce tolls through an electronic system aims to address past complaints about traffic gridlock at manual booths. The new network will cover 13 transport corridors, with 38 existing toll points to be upgraded and 28 new locations added. The system will read vehicle data automatically, linking payments to mobile money wallets, bank accounts, or Ghana Cards .
Road Fund Re-enacted
The Minister noted that the government has re-enacted the Road Fund to provide sustainable financing for road infrastructure maintenance across the country . The de-capping of the Ghana Road Fund in the 2025 Budget aims to ensure that all funds generated for roads go directly into maintenance and rehabilitation .
Regional Progress
The Volta Region is poised to become the first in the country to deliver a fully completed road project under the Big Push programme, with the rehabilitation of the Penyi-Denu Road reaching 75.68% completion, while works on the Kpetoe-Ave Afiadenyigba Road stand at 45% complete .
President John Dramani Mahama has also assured contractors working on the Navrongo-Chuchuliga-Tumu-Wa road project of timely payment, with the government committing to pay contractors within 30 days after submitting certified payment certificates. The President expressed hope that the entire Navrongo-to-Wa stretch would be completed by 2028 .
