The Minister of Finance, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, has announced that the full funding required for the construction of the Accra-Kumasi Expressway will be ready by the end of this year.
He said the government would finance the monumental project fully from internal resources without borrowing.
“By the end of this year, the full funding for the transformational Accra-Kumasi Expressway will be ready,” Dr Forson stated after being briefed on the progress of preparatory works.
“This could be the first time funds for a project of this scale have been fully secured before construction begins.
For the avoidance of doubt, not a single pesewa will be borrowed for this project,” the Finance Minister stated.
In the Mid-Year Fiscal Policy Review, the Finance Minister disclosed that $1.7 billion had already been mobilised and deposited in an account at the Bank of Ghana, awaiting the commencement of the project.
The Accra-Kumasi Expressway project is estimated to cost about $4 billion, with completion set for 2028.
Dr Forson, who was the acting Minister of Defence for a year since August 2025, asked the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) to clear the 176-kilometre route ahead of construction of the expressway.
During the update, the GAF indicated that only six kilometres of the route remained to be cleared.
“The finish line is in sight. Out of 176 kilometres of challenging terrain, just six kilometres remain.
The elite Ghana Armed Forces Engineers have pushed through with absolute grit.
The race to Sawua is almost won,” a representative of the GAF stated.
The Finance Minister congratulated the GAF on the progress made in clearing, saying, “Hearty congratulations to our indefatigable army on a stellar job.”
The Accra-Kumasi Expressway is an unprecedented six-lane, bidirectional expressway expected to improve travel between Ghana’s two largest cities, reduce congestion, shorten travel time and boost economic activity along the corridor.
Background
The government announced the addition of the Accra-Kumasi Expressway to the list of Big Push Infrastructure Programme in the 2026 Budget.
“Mr Speaker, following the completion of feasibility studies and designs, government is adding two more transformative projects, namely the Accra-Kumasi Expressway and the Ekye Amanfrom-Adawso Bridge to the Big Push Infrastructure Programme.
The expressway
The Accra-Kumasi Expressway is the flagship project under the Big Push Programme.
It involves the construction of a 176-kilometre, six-lane, bidirectional expressway linking Ghana's two largest commercial cities.
When completed, the expressway is expected to reduce travel time between Accra and Kumasi to about two hours, improve road safety, ease congestion, lower transport costs, and feature modern interchanges, bridges, intelligent transport systems, electronic tolling, emergency response facilities and rest areas.
Beyond mobility, it will stimulate industrial parks, logistics hubs, and service economies along its route, powering the 24-Hour Economy and strengthening Ghana’s competitiveness.
The right-of-way being cleared for the project is 120 metres wide.
According to the budget review, the compensation assessments, environmental studies, engineering design and feasibility works were expected to be completed by the end of August 2026, with procurement for the main construction contract commencing this month.
“Mr Speaker, as of 22nd July 2026, $1.7 billion had been deposited into the dedicated Accra-Kumasi Expressway Account at the Bank of Ghana,” the Finance Minister told Parliament in July.
He said the funds had been ring-fenced and would be used only after the main construction contract had been awarded.
To avoid the delays, funding challenges and cost overruns that have affected similar projects in the past, government — acting through the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF) — established the Accra-Kumasi Expressway Limited, a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), to implement the project.
“Government is, therefore, confident that all the requirements for this transformational project will be in place when President John Dramani Mahama cuts the sod for construction to begin,” Dr Forson said when he presented the review in Parliament.
The expressway’s eight major interchanges designed to ease urban congestion and improve regional connectivity will be located at: Accra Hub, Adeiso, Asamankese, Akyem Oda, Ofoase, Lake Bosomtwe and Kumasi.
It will also include three major bridges over the Birim and Pra rivers.
The project will include four full-service areas equipped with fuel stations, rest stops, restaurants, vehicle repair centres, and emergency medical facilities to support 24-hour operation.
The service areas will be located at Asamankese, Ayirebi, Ofoase and Lake Bosomtwe.
Two modern 20-toll-lane plazas, Accra Main-line Toll Plaza and the Kumasi Main-line Toll Plaza, will deploy automated systems to ensure efficient revenue collection and minimal delays.
