President John Dramani Mahama has assured the public that the existing Accra-Kumasi road will not be abandoned despite government’s plan to construct a new expressway linking the two cities.
In his address during an inspection of the Ofankor-Nsawam road construction site on Wednesday, the President said both roads will coexist to serve different purposes, with the expressway handling fast traffic and heavy trucks while the old route remains available for regular users.
“Some people have expressed concern that with the announcement of the new Accra-Kumasi Expressway, this road is going to be abandoned. This road is not going to be abandoned,” the President stated.
He explained that work continues on the existing alignment, with construction ongoing on the Eastern Region stretch toward Apedwa and Anyinam, while government plans to add the Ashanti Region end to complete the route.
“This road will still be a very important road. But it will also exist alongside the Accra-Kumasi Expressway, so that for those who want to go very fast, for the big trucks that carry heavy cargo, instead of using this stretch, they can use that stretch,” President Mahama said.
The President disclosed that the new expressway will be a tolled road, with users paying fees to access the faster route.
President Mahama expressed satisfaction with progress on the Ofankor-Nsawam section, returning exactly 90 days after his first inspection prompted government to release over $70 million in payment arrears to the contractor.
“When we came, we met a road that was moving at a snail pace, and there were many constraints associated with what was happening. One was the inability to make some demolitions in order to allow the contractor to work. But a major one was non-payments for work done for a very long time,” the President explained.
He said he ordered the Road and Finance Ministers to clear the payment, enabling the contractor to accelerate work on the section which links Accra to Kumasi and has been a source of complaints from the traveling public.
The President predicted the road could be completed by April 2026, three months ahead of the contractor’s July deadline, if current progress continues.
“The last time I came, he assured us that by July next year, he’ll be able to hand over the road. But if I look at the progress being made, I’m sure that by April next year, if you guys push hard, you’ll be able to finish this road and hand it over, so that we can use it,” he stated.
He congratulated the consultants and contractors for the progress made and urged them to maintain the momentum.