The Ranking Member of the Local Government Committee and Member of Parliament for Bantama, Mr Francis Asenso-Boakye, has made an appeal to the government to prioritise the completion of the Accra-Kumasi Highway dualisation project in the 2025.
Speaking during the budget debate in Parliament, the former Minister for Roads and Highways described the highway as Ghana’s most critical economic corridor, serving over 10 million Ghanaians and facilitating trade between the southern and northern regions.
He noted that while past interventions had significantly reduced travel time, neglect, congestion, and rising vehicle numbers had reversed the progress made, with journey durations increasing from 2.5 hours to 5.5 hours.
“A 2001 study warned that unless critical sections of this highway were dualised, our economy would suffer. Between 2002 and 2008, rehabilitation and dualisation efforts reduced travel time from 6–7 hours to just 2.5 hours. However, because of delays in completing the project, travel time has now ballooned back to 5.5 hours, severely impacting trade and productivity,” he lamented.
Mr Asenso-Boakye provided a detailed status update on the 240km highway, saying 100km had been dualised, 46km is currently under construction and 94km remains untouched
He cautioned that if urgent action was not taken, the road would not withstand the next two rainy seasons, leading to even higher maintenance costs in the future.
He urged Parliament and the government to commit funding in the 2025 budget to ensure the highway’s completion.
The Bantama MP further emphasised that previous investments had demonstrated the transformative power of strategic road infrastructure, citing successful bypasses constructed under different administrations:
He mentioned that the Nsawam, Kyebi, and Nkawkaw bypasses constructed under President Kufuor significantly eased congestion, the Tetteh Quarshie-Peduasei, and Kasoa dualisations boosted economic growth before Ghana even discovered oil.
“Under President Akufo-Addo, four major bypasses—Osino, Anyinam, Enyiresi, and Konongo were initiated, but these remain unfinished. The Accra-Takoradi Highway must also be prioritised,” he said.
Mr Asenso-Boakye also highlighted the economic importance of the Accra-Takoradi Highway, which serves as a key commercial and tourism corridor.
The road connects Accra to Cape Coast and Elmina—home to UNESCO World Heritage sites—and extends to Takoradi, a hub for the oil and gas industry.
He acknowledged that the Akufo-Addo administration had begun the Kasoa-Winneba dualisation, with plans to extend it to Takoradi, but urged the government to accelerate work to unlock the region’s full economic potential.
“This is not just about reducing travel time it is about enhancing trade, tourism, and industrial growth. We cannot afford further delays,” he stressed.
Beyond the Accra-Kumasi and Accra-Takoradi highways, Hon. Asenso-Boakye called for the completion of 13 ongoing urban interchanges to tackle severe traffic congestion in major cities. He warned that daily productivity losses in Accra alone run into millions of cedis due to gridlock and high transport costs.
BY TIMES REPORTER
