President John Dramani Mahama has reaffirmed that the new Accra-Kumasi Expressway will cut travel time between Ghana’s two largest cities from around five to six hours down to roughly two hours once completed. The six-lane project, part of the government’s Big Push infrastructure programme, will also shorten the physical distance between the cities from about 270km to 198km by following a new alignment rather than upgrading the existing N6 highway.
Construction work is already underway, with the Ghana Armed Forces’ 48th Engineers Regiment leading right-of-way clearing along the corridor . The highway will feature three lanes in each direction, eight interchanges, electronic toll plazas, and will bypass major towns along the route to improve both speed and safety. Government has earmarked GH¢30 billion in the 2026 Budget for the project, with US$1.7 billion reportedly ring-fenced at the Bank of Ghana.
“When completed, as you were told, the recommended speed on the Expressway will be 120km per hour. You can drive at 120km per hour,” President Mahama noted.
He 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,” the President said.
He emphasized that the shorter travel time would allow people to commute between the two cities for business and return home on the same day. He illustrated this by telling “Nana” that once the Expressway is complete, someone could leave Kumasi at 6am and arrive in Accra by 8am.
Story by : Emmanuel Nettey
