Ghana’s road sector is undergoing one of its most intensive periods of activity in recent years under Roads and Highways Minister Governs Kwame Agbodza. As of early September 2026, the minister has combined aggressive nationwide inspections, large-scale arrears clearance, performance-based contractor management, and advancement of transformative projects under the government’s flagship Big Push infrastructure programme. The Accra–Kumasi Expressway has emerged as the centrepiece of what Agbodza describes as a generational intervention, while more than 2,000 kilometres of roads across all 16 regions remain under active construction or rehabilitation.
Accra–Kumasi Expressway Takes Centre Stage as Legacy Project
The Accra–Kumasi Expressway stands out as the most ambitious single road initiative currently prioritised by the Mahama administration. In early September 2026, Agbodza confirmed that Ghana Armed Forces engineers had completed right-of-way clearing along the entire corridor, covering approximately 175.6 kilometres. This milestone clears the path for detailed design finalisation and the formal procurement process to select contractors.
Agbodza has publicly framed the expressway as one of President John Dramani Mahama’s major legacy projects in the road sector. He described it as a “generational intervention,” noting that Ghana is approaching 70 years of independence and that the current generation must deliver infrastructure of lasting historical significance. Comparisons have been drawn to landmark projects of earlier eras such as the Tema Motorway. Government Communications Minister Felix Kwakye Ofosu has similarly characterised the expressway as potentially the largest single infrastructure undertaking by any Ghanaian government.
With corridor clearing complete, attention has shifted to technical design and competitive selection of qualified contractors. Construction timelines and funding structures are expected to be clarified in subsequent phases.
Throughout August and early September 2026, Agbodza conducted extensive working tours of major road corridors, beginning in Greater Accra and extending into the Northern, Upper East, Upper West, Bono, Oti, Eastern, and Volta regions. These inspections serve dual purposes: assessing physical progress and holding contractors accountable for delivery timelines.
In Greater Accra, the minister reviewed key projects including the La Beach Road completion (Phases 1 and 2), the 27.7-kilometre Accra–Tema Motorway Extension, the Tema Roundabout–Tetteh Quarshie Interchange stretch, Tema–Aflao Road rehabilitation, Dodowa–Afienya–Dawhenya Road reconstruction, and the 22-kilometre Adenta–Dodowa dualisation. Further north, attention focused on the Tamale Outer Ring Road, the Wa–Han–Tumu–Bolgatanga corridor, and various Upper West sections such as Bulenga–Yaanyuo-Yiri, Mankuri–Han, and Jeffisi–Tumu.
Agbodza reported measurable improvement in the pace of work in several northern regions compared with earlier visits. Contractors on many Big Push sites were praised for strong performance. Where delays or capacity constraints were identified, the ministry has adjusted project scopes in high-risk cases and issued clear directives for acceleration. The Tamale Outer Ring Road and the full Wa–Han–Tumu–Bolgatanga route have both been targeted for completion by the end of 2027, with interim pothole patching and sectional repairs ordered on existing stretches to improve safety during ongoing works.
Scale of the Big Push and Handling of Inherited Projects
The Big Push programme forms the backbone of current road development. Agbodza has disclosed that more than 2,000 kilometres of roads nationwide are undergoing significant rehabilitation or expansion. The programme is structured around 12 major economic corridors sometimes referred to as the “12 disciples” divided into 54 lots to encourage competition and faster delivery. Source
A notable component involves 23 road projects valued at approximately GH¢14.88 billion that had been awarded under the previous administration but stalled due to funding shortfalls. These were absorbed into the Big Push, novated with new funding sources, and are now being advanced. Agbodza has repeatedly emphasised that inherited projects have not been abandoned. By mid-2026, at least GH¢13 billion had been paid toward works executed before the current government assumed office, with cumulative authorisations for arrears and ongoing projects reaching the GH¢23–24 billion range by August 2026. Parliament has approved nearly GH¢50 billion for the broader multi-year road and bridge initiative.
A consistent theme in Agbodza’s public engagements has been contractor accountability. He has stated that delays on several sites stem less from funding shortfalls than from contractors taking on more projects than they can effectively manage. The ministry’s policy is clear: contractors must demonstrate capacity by completing existing assignments before they will be considered for new Big Push contracts.
During inspections, Agbodza has directed firms to deploy adequate equipment and manpower, avoid under-resourcing sites, and institute regular on-site design review meetings so technical issues can be resolved in real time rather than through prolonged correspondence. He has assured performing contractors of continued government support while warning under-performers that future opportunities depend on timely delivery. Payment prioritisation by the administration has removed the traditional excuse of delayed certificates, placing greater responsibility on contractors to accelerate work.
Recognising long-standing challenges with road deterioration after construction, Agbodza has outlined measures to prevent the Big Push portfolio from becoming a future fiscal burden. The Road Maintenance Trust Fund, established under the Road Maintenance Trust Fund Act, 2025 (Act 1147), is being fully operationalised. The ministry is working with the Ministry of Finance to improve the flow and equitable allocation of Road User Charges, strengthen transparency, and reintroduce electronic road and bridge tolling to expand the revenue base.
All completed Big Push roads and bridges are planned for placement under performance-based maintenance programmes funded by the Road Fund. The earlier decision to de-cap the Road Fund has allowed the sector to retain full accruals, helping address previous deficits and support ongoing maintenance needs.
To match the expanded workload, including the creation of additional administrative regions, Agbodza has pushed for the recruitment of approximately 1,000 additional staff across road agencies. Initial approval was secured for 137 personnel, including engineers and quality-assurance experts for the Ghana Highway Authority, with further recruitment under consideration. Source
The Ghana Armed Forces
A critical breakthrough for the Accra–Kumasi Expressway was confirmed in early September 2026 as Ghana Armed Forces engineers have completed right-of-way clearing along the entire corridor, covering 175.6 kilometres.
This achievement marks the successful clearance of the full stretch required for the expressway. The military engineers’ work has removed the physical obstacles along the designated alignment, creating a continuous cleared path from Accra toward Kumasi. Minister Agbodza publicly acknowledged the completion, describing it as a decisive step that now allows the project to move into the next technical and commercial phases.
With the entire 175.6 km corridor cleared, the Ministry of Roads and Highways can proceed with finalising the detailed engineering design and launching the formal procurement process to select qualified contractors for actual construction. Agbodza has repeatedly framed the Accra–Kumasi Expressway as one of President John Dramani Mahama’s major legacy projects and a “generational intervention.” He has emphasised that, as Ghana approaches 70 years of independence, the current administration must deliver infrastructure of lasting historical significance comparable to earlier landmark works such as the Tema Motorway.
Looking ahead, Agbodza has indicated that significant visible progress on many corridors should become apparent by 2027 as projects reach completion. The combination of cleared rights-of-way for the Accra–Kumasi Expressway, accelerated work on northern and inter-regional links, cleared arrears, and enforceable contractor standards positions the road sector for measurable transformation if current momentum is sustained.
The Ministry of Roads and Highways continues to invite public monitoring of projects as a complement to official oversight. As Ghana invests heavily in connectivity between economic centres, the success of these efforts will depend on consistent funding discipline, contractor performance, and the effective implementation of long-term maintenance frameworks now being put in place.
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