President John Mahama has unveiled an ambitious nationwide infrastructure drive under his flagship “Big Push” programme, announcing that 50 major road projects spanning 1,144 kilometres are currently underway at an estimated cost of GH¢50 billion.
Delivering the 2026 State of the Nation Address (SONA) in Parliament in Accra on Friday, February 27, the President described the initiative as the largest investment in the country’s road sector in history.
He said the programme aims to open economic corridors, create jobs, and reduce the cost of doing business.
In addition to the 50 new projects, government is completing 23 inherited road contracts covering 573 kilometres at a cost of GH¢15 billion.
He said altogether, nearly 2,000 kilometres of roads are being rehabilitated across all 16 regions, with 73 projects showing visible progress and more expected to advance significantly by year’s end.
According to the President. a major highlight is the proposed 198.7-kilometre six-lane Accra-Kumasi Expressway, designed to cut travel time between Accra and Kumasi to about two and a half hours. The expressway, Ghana’s first purpose-built limited-access motorway, will feature eight interchanges and modern safety systems.
He mentioned that government has established the Accra-Kumasi Expressway Limited, a subsidiary of the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund, to oversee the design, financing, construction, operation, and maintenance of the project under a concession arrangement of up to 50 years. Feasibility studies and detailed designs are currently underway.
He said other priority projects include completion of the Eastern Corridor Road by 2027, the expansion of the Accra-Tema Motorway into a four-lane expressway with service roads and interchanges, and the Kumasi Inner Ring Road.
He added that major bridge works such as the Dambai Bridge over the River Oti and the Adawso Bridge over the River Afram are also progressing.
President Mahama said the Ministry of Roads has secured approval to reintroduce road tolls using advanced technology to enhance transparency and reduce revenue leakages, with operations expected to resume this year.
He said to improve public transport, government has procured 300 buses for Intercity STC Coaches Limited, Metro Mass Transit Limited, and private operators. The first batch of 100 buses is due by the end of the first quarter.
In aviation, he said passenger traffic handled by the Ghana Airports Company Limited rose to 3.625 million in 2025, up from 3.4 million in 2024.
To ease congestion at Terminal 3, he said Terminal 2 at Accra International Airport will be remodelled into a dual-purpose domestic and international facility, supported by a new concourse, a seven-storey car park, hotel and retail amenities. Runway expansion works are also ongoing.
He added that plans are underway to construct new regional airports in Sunyani, Bolgatanga and Wa, while rail modernisation efforts continue, including operationalising the Tema-Pakadan rail line and upgrading the western and eastern corridors.
"At the ports, a 24-hour operational system has commenced at Tema Port to reduce congestion and improve trade efficiency. Cabinet has also reviewed feasibility studies for the proposed Keta Port project."
President Mahama stressed that the integrated transport and infrastructure push is central to Ghana’s economic transformation, declaring that “the whole of Ghana is going to become a construction site” as works intensify nationwide.
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