Roads Minister reiterates why Accra-Kumasi N6 highway won't be abandoned for construction of new expressway
The intention to build a new Accra-Kumasi Expressway will not be a substitute for the existing N6 Accra-Kumasi highway, the Minister of Roads and Highways, Governs Kwame Agbodza, has reiterated, and says it does not mean the government is going to abandon the current ongoing construction works on three bypasses and rehabilitation of the road.
He said the dualisation of the existing N6 highway project was a major priority for the government and that it is supposed to complement the new Accra-Kumasi Expressway, which will run through the Oda and Ofoase Ayirebi area.
“I want to put on record that government's intention to build a new road from Accra to Kumasi called the Accra-Kumasi expressway is not a substitute to the existing Accra-Kumasi highway. It is supposed to complement that project,” he said.
Don’t be afraid
The minister was speaking in an engagement with the contractors and consultants working on the existing N6 Accra-Kumasi highway at Bunso in the Eastern Region on Monday (May 11, 2026).
Mr Agbodza said “So nobody should be afraid of the fact that because we are doing Accra-Kumasi expressway it means this road is no longer a government priority.
“So let everybody in the country be assured that the two projects are priorities to government,” he said.
The engagement was to allow the minister to assess the progress on the three bypasses being constructed along the Accra-Kumasi highway at Osino, Anyinam and Konongo and how to fastback their completion.
He was accompanied by the Deputy Roads Minister, Alhassan Suhuyini; the Chief Executive of the Ghana Highways Authority, Mallam Isaah Ishak; the Chief Director of the Roads and Highways Ministry, James Amoo-Gottfried as well as the Eastern Regional Minister, Rita Akosuq Awatey.
Tolling both roads
The minister said by the ECOWAS convention that Ghana had signed up to, in building an expressway, there was the need ti also construct an alternative road.
He said expressways were supposed to be commercial for drivers to pay to travel from Accra to Kumasi by two hours.
“But somebody can decide I want to do the existing Accra-Kumasi in five hours, six hours and that is a choice for the person to do,” he said.
With the level of investment being injected into the expressway and existing Accra-Kumasi highway, Mr Agbodza said both roads would be completed on time and tolled.
“By our expectation, if everything goes well, we should be able to complete your outstanding works by end of 2027, he told the contractors.
He, therefore, assured his ministry’s commitment to work with all contractors to finish the project by 2027.
We won’t abandon projects
In spite of the bypass construction suffering major setbacks that had made their completion very difficult, Mr Agbodza assured that contractors who mobilise to site that the “government’s intention is not to suspend or cancel any project we inherited”.
The biggest challenge to the project, he said, was the way it was put together, which mixed major contents of the scope. “Obviously, once the scope changed, the costs completely went out of the budget and many of you could not find your way out whether government was still interested.
“I must put on record this project stalled before 2024 elections and President Mahama's government directive was to make sure all projects go ahead”, he said.
