The John Mahama government, in the 2026 Budget Statement presented in Parliament on Thursday, November 13, revealed its ambitious 198km Accra–Kumasi expressway project.
According to the Finance Minister, the project will include eight interchanges, three major bridges, round-the-clock service areas, and automated tolls, aiming to boost connectivity between Accra and Kumasi.
In the video shared during the 2025 budget presentation by Ato Forson, he stated, “The Accra-Kumasi Expressway is the flagship of President Mohammed’s Big Push infrastructure program.
It is Ghana’s first fully modern six-lane bi-directional Class A expressway, a highway worthy of a nation on the rise. Stretching 198.7 kilometres, this expressway will become the central spine of Ghana’s economy, linking our capital city, Accra and Kumasi, the heartbeat of the Ashanti Region”.
He further added, “It will cut through the Greater Accra and Eastern Regions, creating a powerful southern-northern economic corridor that connects people, markets, and opportunities. To achieve this, the expressway follows a brand new alignment.
This alone reduces the current travel distance by more than 50 kilometres, bringing it down from 250 kilometres to just under 199 kilometres. The impact on time and efficiency will be remarkable. Travel time between Accra and Kumasi will be cut by half. Transport costs are expected to fall by nearly 40%”.
According to Ato Forson, the project will create 30,000 jobs during construction and cut transport costs by 40%.
He further detailed, “And during construction, the project will create over 30,000 direct and indirect jobs for engineers, artisans, suppliers, and young people eager to work and build. But this project is more than a road. It’s a catalyst for transformation. It will spark the development of new industrial parks, logistics hubs, storage centres, and service economies along its length. It will power our 24-hour economy and strengthen Ghana’s global competitiveness.
The expressway will feature eight major interchanges, each designed to ease congestion and enhance access. These interchanges will be located at Accra Hub, Adeiso, Asamankese, Akim Oda, Ofoase, Lake Bosomtwe, and Kumasi. Together, they will form a network of seamless movement and connectivity”.
The finance minister further added, “The project also includes three significant bridges crossing the Birim and Pra Rivers, ensuring a safe, continuous, high-speed drive across changing terrain. To support travellers and transport operators, full-service areas will be built along the route.
This would include emergency medical centres, fire stations, maintenance and rescue units, catering rest stops, fuel stations, electronic vehicle charging points, and safe, well-lit parking spaces. All these facilities will operate round the clock in keeping with our 24-hour economy. Finally, two modern toll plazas, one in Accra and one in Kumasi, will each have 20 lanes.
They’ll rely on automated tolling technology to ensure smooth, efficient revenue collection with minimal delays. The Accra-Kumasi Expressway is not just concrete and asphalt. It is a bold statement of intent, a promise to build faster, connect deeper, and transform Ghana’s future. The Accra-Kumasi Expressway is going to open up our dear country”.
Meanwhile, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson has said the John Mahama-led government is committed to completing the 198-kilometre Accra–Kumasi Expressway in three years.
Speaking on the Citi Breakfast on Friday, November 14, 2025, Dr Forson stated, “With the express road, you will pay something higher than a toll, but with a trunk road, you will not pay, or at worst, you pay only a toll fee.
“We are working on the financing for the Accra-Kumasi Express road. The engineer’s estimate is already out, but because they have yet to tender it out, I cannot put the financing out like that.
“We have budgeted 30 billion for Big Push. President Mahama will finish this project before he leaves office,” he said.
When asked if the 198km Accra–Kumasi Expressway could be completed within three years, Ato Forson stated, “Yes, we will get it done.”
Watch the video below:
The Accra-Kumasi Expressway will cut travel time by about fifty kilometres.
— nana aba (@thenanaaba) November 13, 2025
Less traffic means fewer wasted hours on the road, more time for actual work and a real boost for productivity.
Exciting. Very exciting focus. pic.twitter.com/kdTT3DFwAu