The Minister of Finance, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, has assured the nation that funds required for the construction of the Accra-Kumasi Expressway will be fully available by December, stressing that government will not borrow to finance the project.
Dr Forson gave the assurance in Kumasi on Monday, September 14, after the Ghana Armed Forces formally handed over the cleared right of way for the project to government at Kwaso, near Ejisu in the Ashanti Region.
“As your Minister for Finance, I want to use this opportunity to assure the nation that the entire amount needed for the construction of this expressway will be ready by December 2026. For the avoidance of doubt, we will not borrow a pesewa for this construction,” Dr Forson said.
The Finance Minister also thanked President John Dramani Mahama for appointing an acting Director-General for the Value for Money Office under the Ministry of Finance, noting that the expressway will be its first assignment.
“I assure you that this expressway will be the first task of the Value for Money Office. The Office will scrutinize the project to ensure that every cost is justified and every cedi delivers value,” he said.
The ceremony, presided over by President Mahama, marked the completion of a critical preparatory phase for the flagship project under government’s Big Push Infrastructure Programme.
Engineers of the 48 Engineer Regiment of the Ghana Armed Forces cleared 175.6 kilometres of the corridor in 19 weeks, a week ahead of the original 20-week schedule. The cleared stretch runs from Ablekuma in the Greater Accra Region to Sewua in the Ashanti Region, through virgin forest, rivers and streams.
According to government, the full expressway will cover approximately 198.7 kilometres, comprising 176 kilometres of newly constructed six-lane dual carriageway and about 23 kilometres of upgraded connector roads at the Accra and Kumasi ends.
President Mahama described the project as the single largest capital investment by any government in the history of Ghana.
Background
The Managing Director of Accra-Kumasi Expressway Limited, Engineer Francis Ahlidza, disclosed at the handover that the road will be built as a Class A highway with a three-lane dual carriageway on a 36-metre standard roadbed, with a design speed of 120km/h.
It will feature 8 grade-separated interchanges, 11 vehicle overpasses and 55 mainline bridges, 9 at-grade intersections, about 200 box culverts and four service areas. cb89
Once completed, the expressway is expected to reduce the distance between Accra and Kumasi by about 50 kilometres, cut journey time from about six hours to two hours and reduce travel costs by approximately 40%.
On financing, Dr Forson had earlier told Parliament during the 2026 Mid-Year Fiscal Policy Review that US$1.7 billion had been deposited into a dedicated Accra-Kumasi Expressway Account at the Bank of Ghana and ring-fenced for the project.
At the handover ceremony, President Mahama said an initial $2 billion is now available for commencement, with the amount expected to reach $4 billion by close of the year to fully finance the project.
Government says the Expression of Interest for pre-qualification of contractors was published on September 11, 2026, with contract award expected before the end of the year.
