By Sarah Baafi
The Minister for Roads and Highways, Kwame Governs Agbodza, has justified government’s decision to construct the proposed Accra–Kumasi Expressway, describing it as a critical infrastructure project needed to support economic growth, ease congestion, and strengthen regional trade.
Speaking in an exclusive interview on the GTV Breakfast Show, Mr. Agbodza addressed criticisms suggesting that government should complete all road projects initiated by previous administrations before starting new ones. He dismissed that argument, stating that under the Directive Principles of State Policy, governments are required to continue existing projects while also initiating new ones that respond to national development needs.
He recalled that in 2017, several ongoing road projects were suspended under the previous administration, a decision he said nearly led to the collapse of the Cocoa Roads Programme. According to him, upon assuming office, his first task as minister was to tour all 16 regions to encourage contractors not to abandon their sites despite challenges with delayed payments.
Mr. Agbodza explained that Ghana plays a central role in ECOWAS trade, with goods moving from Nigeria through Benin and Togo into Ghana and onward to Côte d’Ivoire, as well as northward to Burkina Faso. He said these heavy cargo movements currently rely on local roads, contributing to severe congestion, particularly within Accra. He cited the persistent traffic challenges along the Central University–Amasaman stretch as a clear example of the strain on existing road infrastructure.
While the Abidjan–Lagos corridor addresses east–west movement across the sub-region, the minister stressed that the heaviest traffic within Ghana is along the Accra–Kumasi route. He noted that the existing alignment into Kumasi is heavily built up, forcing vehicles to pass through communities with schools, hospitals, and residential areas, resulting in slow travel times of up to six hours.
Responding to suggestions that government should first complete the Accra–Kumasi bypass projects, Mr. Agbodza revealed that those projects have been plagued by significant cost overruns. He said contracts initially valued at about GH¢1.9 billion now require roughly GH¢3.7 billion to complete, largely due to poor contract structuring and unpaid certificates, which forced contractors off-site. He added that the 2024 budget made no provision to absorb these additional costs.
The minister clarified that the proposed expressway will not pass directly through communities but will follow a carefully selected alignment, with access provided through designated interchanges and service lanes to communities in the Greater Accra, Eastern, and Ashanti Regions. The six-lane expressway will include about eight interchanges and three major river crossings, all designed to address specific engineering and environmental challenges.
Mr. Agbodza said the project will be executed under a 50-year concession arrangement through a special purpose vehicle established to own, fund, and maintain the road. Although the project is currently being financed under the government’s Big Push infrastructure agenda, he emphasized that the funds are not free and must be recovered over time, with repayment expected within a 15-year period.
He also disclosed that government is in the final stages of selecting an operator for a national electronic tolling system, which will operate on an IT-based platform without physical toll booths. According to him, the digital tolling system will support cost recovery while improving efficiency and transparency in road use charges.
Mr. Agbodza maintained that the Accra–Kumasi Expressway is a long-term investment designed to decongest major corridors, improve road safety, and enhance Ghana’s role as a key transport hub in West Africa.
