Accra-Kumasi Expressway Moves Toward Construction: What Is Confirmed in 2026

Ghana’s planned Accra-Kumasi Expressway has moved into a much more advanced stage, but there is an important distinction to make: the main expressway is not yet under full physical construction.

The Ghana Armed Forces has completed clearing the project’s right-of-way, the government has begun the formal procurement process for a main contractor, and President John Dramani Mahama says he expects to return to the project site before Christmas 2026 to cut the sod for construction.

Accra-Kumasi Expressway Limited, the government-owned company overseeing the project, has separately said it expects the main construction phase to begin in January 2027. In other words, this is no longer simply a proposed road on paper, but it would still be premature to describe the expressway itself as already being built.

Has Construction of the Accra-Kumasi Expressway Actually Started?

Not in the ordinary sense of large-scale road construction.

What has been completed so far is a major piece of pre-construction work: clearing and establishing the right-of-way along the planned route.

A right-of-way is the corridor of land reserved for a road and its associated infrastructure. Clearing that corridor allows surveyors, engineers, contractors and heavy equipment to access the route and prepares the project for the construction stage.

The Ghana Armed Forces formally handed the cleared corridor back to the government at Kwaso, near Ejisu, on September 14, 2026.

That is a significant milestone, but clearing vegetation and preparing an alignment is different from constructing pavement, bridges, interchanges, drainage systems and toll facilities.

What Happened in September 2026?

The September 14 handover marked the completion of the military’s right-of-way clearing assignment.

Government and Ghana Armed Forces accounts say the Engineers Regiment completed approximately 175.6 kilometers of clearing work in 19 weeks, one week ahead of the 20-week target.

President Mahama used the handover ceremony to announce several additional developments.

He said the government expected to complete the contractor procurement process and return to Kwaso before Christmas to formally cut the sod for the project. He also directed that the military engineers remain involved during the construction phase rather than leaving the project after completing the clearing work.

This is why reports saying the project is “moving toward construction” are accurate. Preparatory work has been completed and the process of selecting the companies that will actually construct the expressway has begun.

The Procurement Process Is Now Officially Underway

The strongest evidence that the project has moved beyond the announcement stage is the formal procurement notice published by Ghana’s Ministry of Roads and Highways.

The Ministry published an Invitation for Prequalification for the Construction of the Accra-Kumasi Expressway in September 2026.

The procurement is being handled through Accra-Kumasi Expressway Limited, or AKEL, a special-purpose company established under the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund.

According to the official procurement document:

• Applications for contractor prequalification are due on October 9, 2026.
• The government expects invitations to tender to be issued on October 23, 2026.
• Applicants are being evaluated before qualified firms proceed to the main tender stage.
• The procurement is being conducted under Ghana’s public procurement laws.

The Roads and Highways Ministry has said contractors will need to demonstrate both strong technical experience and financial capacity.

This stage matters because the government has not yet announced the final main contractor. Until that happens and a construction contract is executed, proposed construction dates remain targets rather than guaranteed deadlines.

How Long Will the Accra-Kumasi Expressway Be?

Government speeches and the 2026 Budget have commonly described the project as approximately 198.7 kilometers long.

However, the newer and more detailed September 2026 procurement notice gives a total project length of 199.383 kilometers.

The difference appears to come from the way the latest procurement document separates the main expressway from connecting roads.

For readers following the project, 198.7 kilometers remains the figure frequently used in public government statements, while 199.383 kilometers is the more precise figure contained in the September construction procurement document.

A Six-Lane Controlled-Access Highway

The planned road is not simply another widening of the existing Accra-Kumasi Highway.

The procurement documents describe a new controlled-access expressway with a three-lane dual carriageway. That means three lanes in each direction, for six main traffic lanes.

The current procurement scope includes:

• Eight grade-separated interchanges.
• Eleven vehicular overpasses.
• Sixty-two bridges.
• 209 reinforced box culverts.
• Underpasses and pedestrian crossings.
• Four service areas.
• Eight toll stations.
• Drainage systems.
• Road furniture and safety infrastructure.
• Infrastructure for electronic tolling and intelligent transport systems.

The eight listed interchange locations are Ablekuma New Town, Adeiso, Asamankese, Akim Oda, Ofoase, Asante Ofoase, Lake Bosomtwe and Sewua Junction/Lake Road.

The planned bridges include crossings associated with major rivers such as the Pra, Anum, Birim, Nsaki and Densu.

Could Accra to Kumasi Really Take About Two Hours?

Government officials say the new route is designed to reduce a journey that can currently take roughly five to six hours to approximately two hours.

The shorter journey would come from a combination of a shorter route, controlled access, fewer interruptions from local traffic and significantly higher operating speeds than are normally possible along the existing highway.

President Mahama has discussed travel speeds of around 100 to 120 kilometers per hour on the future expressway.

The two-hour figure should still be understood as a projected travel time, not a guaranteed journey time. Actual travel will depend on traffic volumes, weather, enforcement, accidents, toll operations, vehicle speeds and the final operating rules for the expressway.

What Role Will the Ghana Armed Forces Play?

The Ghana Armed Forces is expected to remain directly involved after its right-of-way work.

President Mahama has directed the Ministry of Roads and Highways to incorporate the Engineers Regiment as a major subcontractor to the main contractor selected for the project.

This does not mean the military has been named the main contractor.

The main construction company or consortium is still being selected through the procurement process. The military would work underneath or alongside that main contractor as a major subcontractor.

The distinction is important because the final scope of the Engineers Regiment’s construction responsibilities will depend on how the main contract and subsequent subcontracting arrangements are structured.

The government has also discussed using military engineers for steel bridge installation elsewhere in Ghana and for additional right-of-way work on the proposed Greater Accra Orbital Highway.

How Is Ghana Funding the Accra-Kumasi Expressway?

President Mahama announced on September 14 that the Ministry of Finance had set aside US$2 billion in a dedicated account at the Bank of Ghana for the project.

Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson has also said the government intends to have the full amount required for construction available by December 2026 and that the government does not intend to borrow externally to finance the project.

These figures should be understood as official government financing statements.

Earlier, during Ghana’s July 2026 Mid-Year Fiscal Policy Review, the Finance Minister said US$1.7 billion had already been deposited in the dedicated expressway account. The September announcement therefore represents an increase from the amount publicly reported in July.

The government has said the funds are being ring-fenced, meaning they are reserved specifically for the project rather than being available for unrelated government spending.

Will the Accra-Kumasi Expressway Be a Toll Road?

Yes. Current project documents clearly contemplate tolling.

The September procurement notice includes civil works for tolling infrastructure and lists eight toll stations as part of the construction scope.

Accra-Kumasi Expressway Limited is also intended to operate the expressway as a long-term commercial infrastructure asset.

The company’s managing director, Francis Ahlidza, has said toll revenues are expected to help recover taxpayer investment and support operation and maintenance of the road over the concession period.

This means drivers should not assume the new expressway will function like an ordinary untolled national highway.

Exact toll prices have not yet been publicly finalized in the construction procurement material reviewed for this article.

What Happens to the Existing Accra-Kumasi Highway?

The new expressway is planned on a different alignment from the existing Accra-Kumasi Highway.

The government has previously said construction and improvement work on the existing corridor will continue rather than the old road being abandoned.

That distinction is important for communities located along the existing highway.

The new expressway is intended primarily as a faster controlled-access corridor for longer-distance traffic, while the existing road will continue serving towns, communities, businesses and local trips along its current alignment.

Once the new road opens, Ghana could therefore have two major north-south routes serving somewhat different types of traffic rather than simply replacing one road with another.

What Happens Next?

The next several months will determine whether the project remains on the government’s announced timetable.

None of the future dates should be treated as immutable.

Prequalification, bid evaluation, contract negotiations, mobilization and other project requirements can affect construction schedules. Until the main construction contract is awarded, the Christmas sod-cutting date and January construction target remain announced plans rather than completed milestones.

Why the Accra-Kumasi Expressway Matters

Accra and Kumasi are Ghana’s two largest urban and commercial centers, and the road corridor between them carries passenger traffic, commercial freight and goods moving between southern Ghana and the country’s middle and northern regions.

A genuinely controlled-access expressway could change how quickly freight and passengers move through the country.

Government projections include shorter travel times, lower logistics costs and improved road safety. The 2026 Budget also linked the project to industrial development, logistics activity and employment.

Those remain projections until the expressway is built and operating.

The most important development in September 2026 is therefore not a promise about what the road might eventually accomplish. It is that Ghana has moved into formal contractor procurement after completing a major preparatory stage.

Frequently Asked Questions

Has construction of the Accra-Kumasi Expressway started?

The main construction phase has not yet started. Right-of-way clearing and other preparatory work have been completed, and procurement for the main contractor is underway.

When will construction begin?

President Mahama says he expects to cut the sod before Christmas 2026. Accra-Kumasi Expressway Limited’s managing director has said actual construction is expected to begin in January 2027.

Is the Ghana Armed Forces building the expressway?

Not by itself. The government is selecting a main contractor. President Mahama has directed that the Armed Forces Engineers Regiment participate as a major subcontractor to that main contractor.

How long is the new Accra-Kumasi Expressway?

Public government announcements commonly use approximately 198.7 kilometers. The September 2026 procurement notice gives a more detailed total of 199.383 kilometers, comprising 175.85 kilometers of mainline expressway and 23.533 kilometers of connector roads.

Will drivers pay a toll?

Yes. Tolling is part of the current project design. The latest procurement documents include eight toll stations and infrastructure for electronic tolling.

Has Ghana already selected the company that will build it?

No. As of September 21, 2026, contractors are still going through prequalification and procurement.

Is the US$2 billion the final cost of the expressway?

Not necessarily. The government says US$2 billion has been set aside for the project and says the full required financing will be available by December. The final contractual construction cost should become clearer after the procurement process and contract award.

When will the Accra-Kumasi Expressway be completed?

Government officials have discussed construction schedules extending into 2028, but a final contractual completion date should not be treated as fixed until the main construction contract is awarded.

Bottom Line

The Accra-Kumasi Expressway has moved substantially closer to construction.

The right-of-way has been cleared, the project company is in place, contractor procurement is formally underway, the government says significant financing has been reserved, and the Ghana Armed Forces has been assigned a future subcontracting role.

But the road itself is not yet under full construction.

The next evidence to watch is concrete: completion of contractor prequalification, selection and award of the main contract, the promised sod-cutting before Christmas and the mobilization of construction crews expected around January 2027.

Those milestones will show whether the project moves from preparation into actual construction on the timetable the government has announced.

Sources

• Ministry of Roads and Highways: “Invitation for Prequalification: Construction of Accra-Kumasi Expressway” (September 12, 2026)
• Information Services Department: “Ghana Armed Forces Hands Over Accra-Kumasi Expressway Right-of-Way to Government” (September 14, 2026)
• Information Services Department: “Ghana Armed Forces to Serve as Major Subcontractor on Accra-Kumasi Expressway” (September 14, 2026)
• Ghana Armed Forces: “GAF Engineers to Be Awarded Major Subcontracting Role in Accra-Kumasi Expressway Project” (September 15, 2026)
• Information Services Department: “US$2 Billion Ready for Accra-Kumasi Expressway” (September 14, 2026)
• MyJoyOnline: “Accra-Kumasi Expressway Construction Expected to Begin in January 2027 – CEO” (September 14, 2026)
• Ministry of Finance: 2026 Budget Statement and Economic Policy