President John Dramani Mahama will on Monday preside over the formal handover of the 175.6-kilometre right-of-way clearance by Engineers of the Ghana Armed Forces to the Government of Ghana at Kwaso, near Ejisu, clearing the final obstacle for construction of the 198.7-kilometre Accra–Kumasi Expressway — the single largest capital investment by any government in Ghana’s history.
Military Engineers Complete Clearance in Record 19 Weeks
The 48 Engineer Regiment of the Ghana Armed Forces completed the clearing of the 175.6-kilometre corridor through dense forest and farmland in just 19 weeks, a pace that far exceeded expectations and was described by Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson as “progress driven with absolute grit.”
In June, President Mahama disclosed that just over 70 kilometres had been cleared. By late August, Roads and Highways Minister Kwame Governs Agbodza announced that fewer than 20 kilometres remained. That phase is now fully complete.
A Financing Model Unprecedented in Ghana
Dr. Forson announced in early September that the project would be fully funded without any borrowing. As of 22 July, US$1.7 billion had been deposited into a dedicated Bank of Ghana account for the Accra–Kumasi Expressway, ring-fenced and awaiting the award of major construction contracts.
“This may be the first time in Ghana’s history that a project of this scale is fully funded before construction begins,” the Finance Minister said.
The total project cost is estimated at approximately US$4 billion, with completion targeted for 2028. To manage execution, the government has established Accra–Kumasi Expressway Company Limited as a special-purpose vehicle under the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF). Parliament has approved a 50-year concession agreement. The entity will oversee feasibility studies, contractor selection, construction supervision, and post-completion operations, maintenance, and tolling.
Economic Impact: From 30,000 Jobs to 70,000 “Job-Years”
Government projections put the employment impact at some 30,000 direct and indirect jobs. But research by Dr. Theo Acheampong, a technical advisor at the Ministry of Finance, suggests that figure is a “conservative floor.”
Using a “job-year” metric, Dr. Acheampong estimates that direct construction employment alone will generate between 38,000 and 48,000 job-years. Including domestic supply-chain employment from local procurement, the total impact could reach 50,000 to 70,000 job-years.
“Every truckload of aggregate from a quarry, every bag of cement, every haulage contract, every catering supplier — that is a job created by project expenditure,” Dr. Acheampong said. He further recommended tying the project to apprenticeship schemes at technical and vocational institutions to maximise local labour and supplier participation.
Compensation Concerns Loom Over Corridor
Despite the speed of the clearance works, the compensation of affected communities and farmers along the corridor is drawing growing concern. In communities such as Amanfrom and Asankare, farmers say their cocoa farms have been cleared but compensation timelines remain unclear.
A resident named Idrisu told reporters that his mud-brick home, where he has lived since 1992, is scheduled for demolition. “But they told us we don’t know when we will be compensated,” he said.
Contractors have also warned that unresolved compensation disputes could trigger work stoppages, community resistance, and legal challenges — a familiar source of delay in Ghanaian road infrastructure projects.
Project Background and Strategic Significance
The Accra–Kumasi Expressway is the flagship project of the Mahama administration’s “Big Push” infrastructure agenda. Once completed, the six-lane, dual-carriageway highway will reduce the travel distance between the two cities from roughly 270 kilometres to 198.7 kilometres, and cut travel time from four to five hours to approximately two hours.
The route will traverse the Greater Accra, Eastern, and Ashanti regions, passing through communities including Aburi, Adeiso, Asankare, Akim Oda, Ofoase Ayirebi, Asante Akyem, and Saawua. The design includes eight interchanges, rest stops, and tolling points.
Notably, the government has pledged not to abandon the long-delayed dualisation of the existing Accra–Kumasi highway. Minister Agbodza has set a 2027 completion deadline for bypass contractors and disclosed that of the GH¢40 billion in inherited project debt, GH¢12 billion has already been paid.
Monday’s ceremony at Kwaso is expected to draw senior government officials, traditional leaders, military representatives, and project stakeholders. For the Mahama administration, it represents both an infrastructure milestone and an opportunity to demonstrate delivery on its flagship “Big Push” agenda.
