As Ghana’s President, John Dramani Mahama, looks towards completing his term on the 6th of January, 2029, he is also planning the official commissioning of the planned 198.7km 6-lane Accra to Kumasi Expressway. This, he believes, must be accomplished before leaving office. The planned expressway is a priority project in the President’s Big Push Infrastructure Programme (comprising all the mega-projects he intends to execute before his exit) and is expected to be completed in three years. It will be Ghana’s first expressway with limited access points, a higher speed limit, and safety tools implemented to reduce travel time and prevent accidents. The primary intention is to create an ultra-modern high-speed corridor to link Accra and Kumasi.

The “Big Push”

The six-lane modern route, as planned, is expected to be built to expressway standards. It will not be the usual upgrading or maintenance practice like the current approach to the existing N6 route, which will run parallel to the proposed expressway. The project was included in the 2026 Budget Statement and Economic Policy read in Parliament on Thursday, November 13, 2025. The Minister of Finance, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, told Parliament during the budget presentation that the road will stretch nearly 200 km from the coast to the forest belt. He emphasized that the expressway will transform travel and trade, greatly reduce journey times, and stimulate growth across Ghana’s southern regions. Dr. Forson, who called the project President Mahama’s flagship in his Big Push Infrastructure Programme, explained to Parliament that the government is still finalizing the financing needed to complete the project. It will involve domestic funding, which will be part of the targeted GH₵30 billion budget for the entire “Big Push” programme.
The route, as planned, will run southeast to northwest through the Greater Accra, Eastern, and Ashanti regions. It will pass through key towns such as Adeso, Asamankese, Akyem Oda, Ofose, and Kwaso, ending in Kumasi near Lake Bosomtwe. There will be eight major interchanges at these key towns, including Accra, and six significant bridges crossing the Birim and Pra rivers.

Financing, accountability, and transparency.

The Finance Minister, in a radio interview with Bernard Avle of the Citi Breakfast Show, explained that the engineer’s estimate was ready, but the figures will not be put out, since it is going to be by open tender. “We are looking for domestic financing. You know I have very little appetite for foreign financing,” he said.
The Ashanti Regional Minister, Dr. Frank Amoakohene, added his voice by noting, “To ensure the government’s commitment to deliver the project within the three-year time frame, many local contractors will be engaged with lots of the work. No single contractor will have more than 10km of the stretch for construction.”

The planned masterpiece of a highway will include 23km of urban connecting sections in Accra and Kumasi, built to a four-lane standard at 60km per hour. There will also be a 175km main expressway of 6 lanes designed for speeds up to 120km per hour. The engineering feat will symbolize Ghana’s commitment to modernisation, connectivity, and inclusive growth. The new project is expected to create over 30,000 direct and indirect jobs during construction. A toll-based user-pay model will be in place to finance maintenance and operations. Local contractors, and possibly the Ghanaian Armed Forces’ Engineering Corps (DIHOC), will be actively involved in the construction.

The government is relying solely on domestic financing. There are obvious risks, with the possibility of cost overruns or delays due to cash deficits that will affect timely delivery and may cause infrastructural decay. The prices of exports like cocoa beans and gold, which sustain Ghana’s economy, are no longer stable in the global financial market. They fluctuate easily due to worldwide crises like the Russia-Ukraine war. It is worthy to note that over the years, Ghana has learnt how to engage the right citizens in its workforce. Checks and balances are placed along all hierarchies to serve as controls for financial management. The citizens are aware of the mistakes that have caused mishaps in the socio-economic and political landscapes of their neighbours. It was the late John Atta Mills, former President of Ghana, who said to his nation when oil was discovered, “We will be cautious and conscious enough not to fall into the mistakes which our neighbours made that have made their oil a burden.”

Questions, fall-outs, and impacts.

The planned project has raised questions about financing, socio-economic benefits, environmental and social impacts, and Ghana’s capacity and appetite for large-scale infrastructure development.

Despite Dr. Forson’s assurance of the government’s commitment to completing the project on time and the potential benefits, there are public doubts about the ambitious project. Nevertheless, the Finance Minister remains emphatic that the project will boost economic activities between Ghana’s two largest cities.

There will definitely be environmental and social impacts associated with such a project, some positive and others negative. Ghana is noted for its Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF), which guides or addresses Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) concerns in all major projects, such as the planned expressway.

Positive/ Negative environmental impacts

The positive environmental impacts would include reduced pollution in bypass communities, as heavy traffic will be diverted from local areas. Policymakers have assured us that improved environmental management will be implemented during construction. A good example is the proper disposal of construction waste to safeguard the well-being of local communities.
The negative environmental impacts that are envisaged are land degradation and potential loss of agricultural land to construction work. There is also the possibility of soil erosion during the construction phase, which will affect the farmers. There will be water scarcity and potential contamination issues, which may require plans like converting burrow pits into dams.
Ecosystems may be disrupted, especially in areas where bridges cross, due to a disturbance in their natural physical environment. There could also be increased emissions from vehicles, contributing to rising emissions and climate impact.

Positive/ Negative social impacts.

The social impact also has its positive and negative sides. Positively, there will be a relief of traffic congestion that will improve safety for users and residents. Travel time will be shortened, and operating costs for transporters and road users will be reduced. The possible negative social impact will be the disruption of local businesses, especially the petty traders who rely on highway traffic for sales.
There will be the issue of property acquisition and compensation claims for project-affected persons along the new route. This might take a long time to settle due to official bottlenecks and litigation.

Other potential negative social impacts may include loss of employment for those in directly affected areas, the development of hot-spots harbouring miscreants, and red-light districts in local areas where they never existed, eroding long-standing cultures and traditions.
Mitigation for the environmental and social impacts would involve compensation and livelihood restoration plans for affected persons. All stakeholders should be engaged to address community concerns and capacity building. Then, there will be a need for environmental and social safeguards training for contractors and local communities.

Economic opportunities.

Many citizens are wondering what economic opportunities could arise along the expressway corridor. It is expected that the project, when fully developed, will drive economic growth along the corridor through industrial, commercial, and service development. In the factors of production, a good road network is as important as labour and capital. The movement of goods will be eased in a country with an economy that is over 80% agro-based.

Businesses will spring up in busy intersections, aiding the economic growth of local communities. The easy flow of traffic will attract domestic and international investment in infrastructure, logistics, real estate, and related sectors.
During the construction, employment opportunities will be generated, after which job seekers will discover a wider horizon of business opportunities. Artisans such as bricklayers would be involved in real estate that will spring up along different parts of the corridor. Motor mechanics and food vendors would be in high demand. Mobility will improve, and road fatalities will reduce. Building of industrial parks, logistics hubs, and service economies along the corridor will be stimulated, hence boosting Ghana’s 24-hour economy.

Communities that would benefit most are those that produce perishable goods such as fruits, vegetables, and other economic crops. The cocoa and timber trades for which Ghana is noted will flourish and prosper.
The Transport Unions also have their concerns regarding the planned route. While they welcome the giant step of the government to make travel less cumbersome, they want a clearer policy outline, fair pricing, and inclusion in infrastructure plans. They are also advocating for the proper maintenance of existing roads like the N6, since they are still crucial for daily transportation.

The citizens speak.

Juliana Gyanode, a petty fish seller, remembered the day she lost her daughter-in-law, who was referred to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), Kumasi, for a Caesarean Section, but died on the road between her Agogo town and Kumasi due to the deplorable road. Now, she is hopeful that the new expressway will bring civilization and modernity nearer to her community. She is hoping for a better quality of life.

Aboagye Adu, a third-generation cocoa farmer and merchant in Obuasi, prayed that the new route would not pass through his extensive farm. Meanwhile, he is acquiring new farmlands, believing in the gains that would accrue when the expressway becomes a reality. These two said it all — little doubt with a high sense of optimism.

Regional connectivity and gains.

In the sub-region, Ghana enjoys a stable socio-political atmosphere devoid of distractions such as kidnapping, banditry, and other social ills. Hence, there is no fear of inter-regional mishaps occasioned by hate or anger.
The project, which has been described as Ghana’s first Class-A expressway linking Accra to the Ashanti region via the Greater Accra and Eastern regions, will shorten the current travel distance by 50km (from 250km to 198.7km), halving travel time and cutting transport costs by nearly 40%.
Kwabena Osei, a government contractor, explains that the planned route will help create support for regional integration. Its enhanced capacity and traffic efficiency will support the broader objectives of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) by streamlining cross-border commerce and reinforcing Ghana’s role as a logistics and trade powerhouse in West Africa.
The road will be an important trade route connecting West Africa to continental and global markets. Its effect will also be felt in the ECOWAS corridor trade. The smooth and fast mobility will hasten regional integration, enhance connectivity and competitiveness that will help economic opportunities and reduce poverty.
The Tema Port, located in the Gulf of Guinea, will act as a key gateway for import and export across the sub-region because of the expressway. It is a gateway for landlocked neighbours such as Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger. A wide variety of cargo, including major exports like cocoa beans, gold, crude oil, and other essential exports, will have easy access to the port through the planned expressway.
The Ghana to Kumasi expressway will streamline the movement of goods to these inland destinations. This is vital for their economies.

A sub-regional comparative study

In comparison, there are lessons to learn from Ghana’s preparations for the bold and ambitious project. Similar projects in other neighbouring nations failed sustainability, either due to poor maintenance practices, corruption on the part of the managers, or leadership failure. A country like Nigeria that had experimented with toll-based financing for its highways gave up when the managers became corrupt. Ghana’s corruption index is still at a level that is not harming the economy.
The East-West road linking Lagos, Southwest Nigeria, and Calabar in the South-South region is utterly dilapidated. All the toll gates have been removed since managers could not account properly for the huge amounts that accrued daily.
Nigeria has proposed another coastal expressway that will link Lagos and Calabar. Critics are questioning the construction of a new expressway when the old one cannot be maintained. The government has also mooted the idea of building a railway that will link Abuja, the administrative capital, to the Sahel. Sceptics think it will be a waste of resources, considering the past failures.
The West Coast route links Lagos to Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. The stretch from Lagos through Benin, Togo, to the Aflao border town separating Ghana and Togo is in bad shape. From Aflao, it becomes a smooth ride up to Elubo, the border town between Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire. This is an indication that the planned Accra to Kumasi expressway will succeed, since the nation can effectively maintain its own stretch of the West Coast road linking up the sub-region.
Ghana’s Minister of Finance, Dr. Forson, in a radio interview, said, “With the express road, you will pay something higher than a toll, but with the trunk road, you will not pay, or at worst, you pay a toll fee.” The nation understands what is appropriate in a time like this. Good roads will reduce the death toll, and toll gates will be necessary to maintain them.

Conclusion

Ghana has a good maintenance culture, which over time has been preserving its infrastructure and monuments. With the planned expressway project, which has promising potential for Ghana’s growth, the emerging economy is speeding into modernity and prosperity. When asked whether the three-year timeline for constructing the expressway was realistic, the Finance Minister, Mr. Forson, responded confidently, “Yes, we will get it done.”