THE government has defended its plan to construct the Accra–Kumasi Expressway, saying it is necessary to reduce travel time, improve safety, and boost trade within Ghana and across West Africa.
It explained that the current Accra–Kumasi Highway was congested, slow and often took commuters four to six hours due to traffic through towns and villages before they reach their destination.
Speaking in an interview on Ghana Television (GTV) breakfast show monitored by The Ghanaian Times in Accra on Monday, the Minister of Roads and Highways, Mr Kwame Agbodza, said the new road would help move goods from Nigeria, Benin, Togo, and Ghana to Côte d’Ivoire, as well as transport products from Ghana to Burkina Faso.
He said the expressway would be a user-pay alternative, not replacing existing roads, and would include filling stations, electric vehicle charging points, and emergency facilities.
The Roads and Highways Minister also stated that the government was guided by both domestic needs and regional trade considerations.
“The expressway is part of Ghana’s contribution to ECOWAS initiatives, like the Abidjan–Lagos corridor. It will help ensure that goods and people move efficiently across borders, while also improving the quality of domestic travel,” he elaborated.
Addressing concerns that the government should prioritise completing projects started by previous administrations, Mr Agbodza indicated that, “According to the Directive Principles of State Policy, a government must continue ongoing projects while also initiating new ones that respond to national needs.”
Mr Agbodza recalled that in 2017, suspension of several road projects, including the Cocoa Roads Programme, nearly caused their collapse.
“In 2017, several road projects, including the Cocoa Roads Programme, were suspended, nearly causing their collapse. One of my first duties as minister was to reassure contractors to continue their work and ensure the government honoured its financial commitments,” he revealed.
The minister highlighted additional priorities in the road sector.
These, he emphasised, were clearing arrears owed to contractors, with over GH¢10 billion paid in 2025 to accelerate stalled projects, enforcing axle load limits to protect road surfaces from damage caused by overloaded trucks.
Construction of major infrastructure projects such as the Afram River Bridge, which will improve connectivity in eastern Ghana.
BY ANITA AYISIBEA
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