Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson has announced that the full funding for the construction of the Accra-Kumasi Expressway is expected to be secured by the end of 2026, with the government insisting that the project will be financed without borrowing.
Dr Ato Forson said the financing arrangement would represent a significant milestone for Ghana, particularly because the funding for an infrastructure project of such scale would be secured before construction begins.
“By the end of this year, the full funding for the transformational Accra-Kumasi Expressway will be ready,” the Finance Minister said.
He stressed that the project would not require additional borrowing, stating that “not a single pesewa will be borrowed” to finance the expressway.
$1.7 billion already secured
The announcement follows an earlier disclosure during the 2026 Mid-Year Fiscal Policy Review that approximately US$1.7 billion had already been secured and deposited into an account at the Bank of Ghana in preparation for the project.
The funding is expected to support the government’s plans to develop the major transport corridor linking Accra and Kumasi, Ghana’s two largest cities.
The government believes the project could become a major transformation of road transportation between the southern and central parts of the country.
Ghana Armed Forces nearing completion of route clearing
Progress has also been recorded in preparing the route for construction.
The Ghana Armed Forces has been involved in clearing the proposed route, with an update indicating that only six kilometres remained to be cleared out of the 176-kilometre stretch.
Dr Ato Forson congratulated the military engineers for their work, describing their efforts as crucial to preparing the way for the expressway project.
The military was deployed to support the clearing exercise during Dr Ato Forson’s tenure as Acting Minister for Defence.
Six-lane expressway expected to transform travel
The proposed Accra-Kumasi Expressway is planned as a six-lane, bidirectional highway designed to significantly improve road connectivity between Accra and Kumasi.
When completed, the project is expected to help reduce congestion, shorten travel times and improve the movement of people and goods along the corridor.
The expressway could also stimulate economic activity in communities along the route by improving access to markets, businesses and other economic opportunities.
With the government targeting the end of 2026 to secure the remaining financing, attention will now increasingly turn to when actual construction of the major road project will commence.
The development comes as the government seeks to demonstrate that major infrastructure projects can be financed through arrangements that do not add to Ghana’s borrowing obligations.
