Accra and Kumasi Expressway: Government Targets Full Funding by End of 2026 as Military Clears 170km Corridor

Ghana’s ambitious Accra and Kumasi Expressway project has moved closer to its construction phase, with the government announcing that it expects to secure the full financing required for the project by the end of 2026 without contracting new loans.

Finance Minister, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, made the announcement during the 2026 Mid-Year Fiscal Policy Review, describing the project as a transformational infrastructure investment for Ghana.

According to the Minister, US$1.7 billion has already been secured and deposited into a dedicated account at the Bank of Ghana for the expressway. He said the funds have been set aside for the project and will be utilized following the award of the main construction contract.

“By the end of this year, the full funding for the transformational Accra and Kumasi Expressway will be ready,” Dr Forson stated.

He further stressed that the government does not intend to borrow to finance the project, saying the funding arrangement could represent a major shift in how Ghana finances large-scale infrastructure.

“For the avoidance of doubt, not a single pesewa will be borrowed for this project,” the Finance Minister said.

While the government works to complete the financing arrangements, significant preparatory work has already taken place on the ground.

Engineers from the Ghana Armed Forces have cleared approximately 170 kilometres of the 176-kilometre corridor designated for the proposed expressway, leaving only six kilometres to complete the corridor-clearing exercise.

The Armed Forces announced the latest milestone on September 3, 2026, saying its engineers were approaching the final stretch of the exercise as they advanced towards Sawua.

The clearing operation is intended to establish the required right-of-way and prepare the route for the major construction phase.

The progress represents a substantial improvement from June, when approximately 89.5 kilometres, representing 50.9 per cent of the corridor, had been cleared.

The proposed Accra and Kumasi Expressway is planned as a 176-kilometre, six-lane bidirectional expressway connecting Ghana’s two major economic centres.

Government says the project is expected to reduce travelling time between Accra and Kumasi to approximately two hours, while improving road safety, easing congestion and reducing transportation costs.

The planned infrastructure is also expected to incorporate modern interchanges, bridges, intelligent transport systems, electronic tolling, emergency response facilities and rest areas.

Beyond transportation, the project is being positioned as an important economic corridor capable of improving the movement of people, agricultural produce, commercial goods and industrial products between southern Ghana and the Ashanti Region.

The financing announcement is particularly significant because the government says the US$1.7 billion already secured has been ring-fenced for the project.

Earlier government information indicated that feasibility studies, environmental assessments and detailed engineering designs were being undertaken alongside the corridor clearing exercise. Procurement for the main construction contract was expected to begin in September 2026.

This means that the current military operation should not be interpreted as the construction of the expressway itself. The Ghana Armed Forces is primarily undertaking corridor and right-of-way preparation, while the major civil engineering works will follow the procurement and construction contracting process.

For decades, the Accra and Kumasi highway has served as one of Ghana’s most important transportation routes. However, increasing traffic volumes, congestion, road-safety concerns and the growing movement of goods have created pressure for a modern alternative.

A completed expressway could significantly improve connectivity between the Greater Accra and Ashanti regions while supporting businesses and communities located along the corridor.

For transport operators, shorter travel times could translate into lower operating costs. For businesses, improved logistics could make the movement of goods more predictable and efficient.

The project could also create employment opportunities during construction and stimulate economic activity around newly developed transport and commercial nodes.

The government's decision to finance the project without borrowing also gives the expressway a significance beyond the road itself.

Government Communications Minister Felix Kwakye Ofosu has described the project as potentially one of the largest infrastructure projects undertaken by a Ghanaian government and highlighted its proposed reliance on domestic resources. The approach will therefore be closely watched as Ghana attempts to demonstrate that large-scale infrastructure can be financed through domestic resources rather than relying heavily on external borrowing.

However, securing the money is only one part of the equation. The government will also have to ensure that procurement, construction, compensation, environmental requirements, project management and financial controls are handled effectively.

With only six kilometres of the designated corridor left to clear, attention is increasingly shifting from land preparation to the project's construction and procurement stages. The government now faces the task of completing the remaining financing requirements, finalising technical and environmental preparations, awarding the main construction contract and eventually commencing the physical construction of the expressway. The latest announcement therefore represents progress, but not completion. The government says the full funding will be ready by the end of 2026. The US$1.7 billion already secured provides a significant financial foundation, while the 170 kilometres cleared by military engineers brings the project closer to the point where major construction can begin.

For millions of Ghanaians who regularly travel between Accra and Kumasi, however, the ultimate measure of success will not be the amount of money secured or kilometres cleared. It will be the day the first completed stretch of the new expressway opens to traffic.

For now, Ghana appears to be moving from promises and preparations toward one of the country's most closely watched infrastructure projects.