President John Dramani Mahama has sought to calm public concerns that the ongoing dualization of the Accra–Kumasi highway could be sidelined following plans to construct a new expressway along the same corridor.
During an inspection of the Ofankor–Nsawam stretch on Monday, the President emphasized that both projects would proceed concurrently, ensuring smoother travel and boosting economic activity across Ghana’s busiest transit route.
“This road is not going to be abandoned… this alignment will still be available for road users,” he said, addressing worries that the old highway might be neglected once the expressway is built.
President Mahama recounted that 90 days ago, the Ofankor–Nsawam section was plagued by delays, slow progress, and payment issues. To address this, he instructed the Ministers of Roads and Finance to ensure contractors were paid, leading to the release of over $70 million.
“And today is exactly three months since I last came here. And I’m quite impressed with the progress that has been made. I’ll urge the contractor to continue to push hard,” he added.
He expressed optimism that the road could now be completed ahead of schedule. *“The last time I came, he assured us that by July next year, he’ll be able to hand over the road. But if I look at the progress being made, I’m sure that by April next year, if you guys push hard, you’ll be able to finish this road and hand it over, so that we can use it.”
The President outlined that work is ongoing across multiple sections, including the Eastern Region stretch from Apedwa to Anyinam, with plans to extend to the Ashanti Region. He noted that the dualized highway would continue serving motorists, while the new expressway would cater to long-distance travelers and heavy trucks, who would pay tolls to use the faster route.
“We’ve not abandoned this alignment. This alignment will still be available for road users. But we’re going to invest in a new expressway that will take people to Kumasi faster than this old one has done,” he said, congratulating contractors and consultants for their efforts and urging them to maintain momentum to possibly hand over the road earlier than the initially projected July timeline.
The President’s visit underscores the government’s commitment to improving Ghana’s road infrastructure and easing travel along one of the country’s most important economic corridors.
