President John Dramani Mahama has highlighted the potential of the proposed Accra-Kumasi Expressway to transform road travel between the two cities, saying motorists could complete the journey in approximately two hours once the project is completed.
He made the statement on Monday, September 14, 2026, at Kwaso in the Ashanti Region, where the Ghana Armed Forces officially handed over the 175.6-kilometre right-of-way to the state for the construction of the expressway.
The proposed project will cover 198.7 kilometres and feature six lanes. Unlike the existing Accra-Kumasi Highway, which is about 270 kilometres long, the new expressway will follow a different alignment.
President Mahama said the alignment would reduce the distance between Accra and Kumasi by nearly 70 kilometres, significantly improving travel efficiency.
“When completed, as you were told, the recommended speed on the Expressway will be 120km per hour. You can drive at 120km per hour,” he noted.
He added that motorists travelling at 100 kilometres per hour could still complete the journey in about two hours, a substantial reduction from the five to six hours spent on the existing highway.
“Even if he is travelling at 100km an hour, it means that the journey will take him two hours, instead of the five to six hours that we currently use on the old Accra-Kumasi highway,” President Mahama said.
According to the President, the shorter journey would make it easier for residents to travel between Accra and Kumasi for business and return home the same day.
“And so Nana, when this Expressway is finished, you can leave Kumasi at 6am and you’ll be in Accra by 8am,” he stated.
He also outlined the lane arrangement, explaining that the three-lane expressway would allow slower-moving vehicles to use the outer lane while faster vehicles travel in the inner lane.
The proposed expressway is expected to enhance connectivity, reduce travel distances and improve the movement of people and goods between Ghana’s two major cities.
It is also is expected to be Ghana’s first purpose-built expressway, featuring limited access points, higher speed limits, and safety infrastructure designed to reduce travel time and prevent accidents.
This historic project marks Ghana’s first true expressway, a modern high-speed corridor linking Accra and Kumasi, and expected to be completed within three years and officially commissioned by President John Dramani Mahama before he completes his term on January 6, 2029.
It is President John Dramani Mahama’s flagship Big Push Infrastructure programme.
The route runs southeast to northwest through the Greater Accra, Eastern, and Ashanti regions, touching key towns like Adeiso, Asamankese, Akyem Oda, Ofoase, and Kwaso.
It will enter Kumasi from the Lake road side [Bosomtwe].
It will feature eight major interchanges at Accra hub, Adeiso, Asamankese, Akyem Oda, Ofoase, Lake Bosomtwe, and Kumasi.
It will also feature six significant bridges crossing the Birim and Pra rivers.
