President John Dramani Mahama has announced that the proposed $2 billion Accra-Kumasi Expressway will significantly reduce travel time between the two cities, potentially allowing motorists to complete the journey in about two hours.
He said the six-lane highway, which will follow a new alignment, is expected to improve road connectivity and make same-day business travel between Accra and Kumasi more convenient.
President Mahama made the announcement on Monday, September 14, 2026, at Kwaso in the Ashanti Region, during the official handover of the cleared right-of-way for the project by the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF).
The handover marks the completion of a major preparatory phase after the military cleared 175.6 kilometres of the proposed expressway corridor.
The clearance was undertaken by the 48 Engineers Regiment of the Ghana Armed Forces and completed in 19 weeks, one week ahead of the scheduled 20-week timeframe.
Receiving the cleared corridor on behalf of the government, President Mahama commended the military for what he described as a critical assignment towards the realisation of the project.
“In 20 weeks, I’m pleased to announce to the whole country of Ghana that our armed forces have accomplished this mission. One week ahead of schedule, they did it in 19 weeks,” he said.
The President said the cleared route runs from Ablekuma in the Greater Accra Region to Sewua in the Ashanti Region, passing through forests and across rivers and streams.
“From Ablekuma in Greater Accra to Sewua in the Ashanti Region, within 19 weeks, 175.6 kilometres of road passing through virgin forests, crossing rivers and streams, our Ghana Armed Forces can today announce to all of us, as they say in military jargon, mission accomplished,” he stated.
The proposed expressway will cover 198.7 kilometres and adopt a different alignment from the existing Accra-Kumasi Highway, which is approximately 270 kilometres long.
According to President Mahama, the new route will shorten the travelling distance between the two cities by nearly 70 kilometres.
He said the highway would be designed for a recommended speed of 120 kilometres per hour, further improving travel efficiency.
“When completed, as you were told, the recommended speed on the Expressway will be 120km per hour. You can drive at 120km per hour,” he noted.
President Mahama explained that even at a speed of 100 kilometres per hour, motorists could complete the journey in about two hours, compared with the five to six hours currently required on the existing highway.
“Even if he is travelling at 100km an hour, it means that the journey will take him two hours, instead of the five to six hours that we currently use on the old Accra-Kumasi highway,” he said.
He added that the reduced travel time would enable people to travel between Accra and Kumasi for business and return home the same day.
“And so Nana, when this Expressway is finished, you can leave Kumasi at 6am and you’ll be in Accra by 8am,” President Mahama stated.
The President further explained that the expressway would have three lanes designed to accommodate vehicles travelling at different speeds, with slower-moving vehicles expected to use the outer lane and faster vehicles the inner lane.
On financing, President Mahama disclosed that an initial $2 billion had been secured for the commencement of the project, assuring contractors that funding would not be a constraint once construction begins.
He said the funds, sourced domestically from taxpayers’ money, had been placed in a special account at the Bank of Ghana to facilitate prompt payment to the contractor throughout the project.
“And let me also announce that this is our own money. We have not gone to borrow money from anywhere. This money is the taxpayers’ money,” he said.
The President directed the Minister for Roads and Highways to incorporate the Ghana Armed Forces Engineers Regiment as a major subcontractor to the main contractor for the expressway.
Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson has also assured that the full amount required for the project will be available by December 31, 2026, reiterating that government will not borrow to finance the construction.
With the right-of-way clearance now completed, attention is expected to turn to the next stages of the project, including the commencement of construction and the development of the new transport corridor.
The proposed expressway is expected to strengthen economic links between Ghana’s two major cities, reduce the burden on the existing highway and improve the movement of people and goods across the country.
