Parliament has approved the concession agreement between the government of Ghana and the Accra-Kumasi Expressway Ltd as the concessionaire for the Accra-Kumasi expressway project.
The six-lane expressway project will connect the national capital, Accra, and Kumasi, the capital of Ashanti Region, an important business hub in the country.
Intended to cut travel distance between the two cities by 50 kilometres, the project will reduce travel time from four to five hours to two hours between the two biggest business areas in the country.
A wholly government-funded initiative, the project will include eight interchanges at various intersections, rest stops and toll points.
The government has already made provision in the 2026 Budget for an allocation of GH¢30 billion for the project.
In addition, the allocation of GH¢13.8 billion approved under the Big Push programme in the 2025 financial year, which has been drawn down, has been ring-fenced to support the expressway project.
Executing agency
The Accra-Kumasi Expressway Ltd is a private limited liability company duly incorporated as a special purpose vehicle (SPV) established by the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF) with demonstrated capacity in large-scale road infrastructure development and expressway concessions.
The SPV, which will build and manage the expressway for 50 years, is wholly funded through budgetary allocation from the government of Ghana as part of the “Big Push” initiative.
The concessionaire is responsible for feasibility studies, selection of contractors and awards of contract for the construction of the expressway, and the supervision of the construction works in collaboration with the Ghana Highways Authority.
It is to also supply and install tolling systems, provide and manage ancillary road infrastructure, including fuel stations and rest stops, as well as manage, operate, repair and maintain project facilities and collection of tolls.
The concessionaire is expected to transfer the project to the Ghana Highways Authority on the expiration of the 50 years’ concession period.
The agreement was presented to the House by the Minister of Roads and Highways, Kwame Governs Agbodza, last Tuesday, and was referred to the Committee on Roads and Transpiration, as well as the leadership of the Finance Committee for consideration.
Background
The Accra-Kumasi highway is one of the busy highways that links the two cities, with a vehicular traffic of over 10,000 per day.
The highway has long become a nightmare for commuters and, tragically, a death trap.
Despite serving as a critical artery connecting Accra with Ashanti Region, the Bono Region and all five regions in the northern part of the country, the current form of the road is riddled with potholes, uneven surfaces and the lack of adequate lighting systems, making it more of a death trap.
To improve travel in the corridor and in an effort to improve the country’s road infrastructure and to facilitate economic activity between the two cities, the government intends to construct the six-lane dual carriage expressway.
Benefits of project
Per the report of the Committee on Roads and Transportation that considered the agreement, the committee observed that the Accra-Kumasi expressway project was of strategic importance and possessed strong commercial viability, driven by high traffic demand and its location within a developing economic enclave.
“The committee noted that the successful implementation of the expressway project will boost Ghana’s economy by improving trade, reduce transport costs, create jobs, enhance safety and modernise infrastructure linking the capital with major commercial hubs like Kumasi for better connectivity, tourism and agricultural logistics,” it said.
Accra-Kumasi highway not abandoned
Prior to the House okaying the agreement, Mr Agbodza allayed the fears of members of the House that the government would not abandon the construction of the Accra-Kumasi highway.
He said contractors were completely off-site before the 2024 election because the scope of work changed and the money made available for the project did not tally with the scope.
He said unlike 2017 when the government took and made it a policy to suspend road projects on the excuse that they were doing auditing, President Mahama's government had done the opposite.
“We encourage all contractors to continue to work on every project that has been inherited to be continued,” he said, citing projects such as the Ofankor-Nsawam and the Kasoa-Winneba roads where the contractors had resumed work.
“President Mahama ordered the Finance Minister to pay almost GH¢800 million in the first payment, and today that project is going to be completed ahead of schedule.
“Mr Speaker, on record, the almost GH¢6 billion that the Finance Minister paid for road projects, not one cedi has been paid for projects started by President Mahama as they all started before he came to government,” Mr Agbodza said.
He added: “So, if people say that we are abandoning, how do you pay GH¢6 billion for projects started by the previous government and you still talk about projects being abandoned?”
