President John Dramani Mahama is expected tomorrow to formally receive the cleared right-of-way for the proposed Accra-Kumasi Expressway, marking a major milestone towards the construction of the government’s flagship infrastructure project.
The handover of the 175.6-kilometre right-of-way, cleared by Engineers of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), will take place at Kwaso, near Ejisu in the Ashanti Region.
The ceremony is expected to pave the way for the construction of the 198.7-kilometre Accra-Kumasi Expressway, a major component of the government’s Big Push Infrastructure Programme.
The project, estimated to cost about US$4 billion, is designed to provide a modern, six-lane, access-controlled expressway linking Ghana’s two largest commercial cities. Government estimates indicate that the road could reduce travel time between Accra and Kumasi to approximately two hours, while improving road safety, easing congestion and lowering transportation costs.
The project was incorporated into the 2026 Budget after the completion of feasibility studies and designs. It is expected to include modern interchanges, bridges, intelligent transport systems, electronic tolling, emergency response facilities and rest areas. Government also anticipates that the improved corridor will stimulate industrial parks, logistics hubs and other economic activities along the route.
GAF clears route
The Ghana Armed Forces was tasked with clearing the right-of-way to facilitate the commencement of construction works.
The exercise has involved the clearing of a corridor with a width of about 120 metres, covering difficult terrain along the proposed alignment. The Finance Minister, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, who served as acting Minister of Defence, has commended the GAF Engineers for their work on the corridor.
The completion of the right-of-way clearance is significant because it removes one of the major preparatory hurdles ahead of the main construction phase.
Government rules out borrowing
Dr Ato Forson has said government intends to finance the project without borrowing, describing the funding arrangement as an important departure from the financing model used for several major infrastructure projects in the past.
In May, the Finance Minister said the US$4 billion project would be financed from domestic resources, including petroleum revenues and mineral royalties. He explained that government had changed its approach to petroleum revenue by directing it towards major infrastructure rather than spreading it across numerous expenditure areas.
By 22 July 2026, government had already deposited US$1.7 billion into a dedicated Accra-Kumasi Expressway account at the Bank of Ghana, according to the Ministry of Finance’s Mid-Year Fiscal Policy Review.
More recently, Dr Forson announced that the full funding required for the project is expected to be ready by the end of 2026, insisting that “not a single pesewa” would be borrowed for the project. The government has projected completion of the expressway in 2028.
The project is being implemented through Accra-Kumasi Expressway Limited, a special-purpose vehicle established by the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF), with the aim of ensuring dedicated management and financing and avoiding some of the delays and cost overruns associated with major infrastructure projects.
A major transport investment
When completed, the expressway is expected to fundamentally change road transportation between the Greater Accra, Eastern and Ashanti regions and strengthen the movement of people and goods between the country’s two principal economic centres.
The government considers the project a cornerstone of its broader Big Push agenda, with the Finance Minister describing it as a transformational investment intended to support economic growth, job creation and the development of businesses along the corridor.
Tomorrow’s handover at Kwaso will therefore represent more than the completion of a road-clearing exercise: it will mark the transition from preparatory works to the next stage of one of Ghana’s most ambitious infrastructure projects in recent years.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
