Opposition Challenges New Expressway Plan Over Unfinished Dualisation

The debate over major road infrastructure intensified during the 2026 Budget discussions when opposition Member of Parliament (MP) Francis Asenso Boakye challenged the government’s plan to pursue a new Accra to Kumasi Expressway while the ongoing dualisation of the existing highway remains incomplete at 64 percent completion.

The former Minister of Roads and Highways and current member of the Roads and Highways Committee of Parliament criticized the proposal to begin the new expressway, estimated at nearly United States (US) one billion dollars, describing it as wasteful while commuters continue to face delays and dangers on the existing route. His intervention during parliamentary deliberations has sparked fresh controversy over infrastructure priorities and fiscal prudence in road sector investments.

Asenso Boakye, who represents Bantama constituency, highlighted that several interventions including dualisation works, bypasses and interchanges are already underway to improve traffic flow, enhance commuter safety and reduce congestion. He urged the government to prioritize their completion to ensure tangible benefits and better value for public funds.

“As a Minority, we are not opposed to an Accra to Kumasi Expressway,” Asenso Boakye stated during the budget debate. “What concerns us is value for money and the prudent management of scarce national resources. Launching a new expressway while the ongoing dualisation is far advanced, 64 percent as announced in the budget statement, raises serious questions about planning and accountability.”

He traced the project’s history, noting that it began under the Kufuor administration from 2001 to 2009 with key interventions such as Circle to Taifa dualisation, Nsawam Bypass and Nsawam to Apedwa dualisation, Nkawkaw Bypass, and Fumesua to Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) dualisation. According to him, the project stalled completely during the eight years of the Mills and Mahama administration from 2009 to 2017.

The Akufo Addo government, which served from 2017 to 2025, revived the project with interventions including Osino, Anyinam, Enyiresi and Konongo bypasses, Ofankor to Nsawam works, and Pokuase Interchange. Asenso Boakye revealed that over 100 kilometers of the 240 kilometer stretch had already been dualised, with an additional 46 kilometers under active construction, leaving only 94 kilometers to complete the project.

He cautioned that abandoning the ongoing dualisation to start a new expressway risks wasting already invested resources, prolonging commuters’ hardship and increasing costs. He questioned the rationale behind abandoning a project with a known cost, scope and design for a new expressway which, according to him, does not yet have a completed feasibility study, confirmed funding or a clear design.

The MP argued that such a decision defied logic and prudent planning, and represented a breach of Article 35(7) of the 1992 Constitution, which mandates successive governments to continue projects initiated by previous administrations. He urged the government to prioritize evidence based planning over politically driven initiatives to maintain public trust and ensure efficient use of resources.

However, Deputy Minister for Roads and Highways Alhassan Suhuyini rejected the Minority’s position, insisting the expressway is central to President John Dramani Mahama’s plans to expand economic productivity under the Big Push agenda. Explaining the government’s road strategy, the Deputy Roads Minister said efficient transport infrastructure is fundamental to poverty reduction.

“You cannot reduce poverty without efficient transport. Building roads and port infrastructure is what will lower the cost of food and goods and connect farmers to markets and make Ghanaian businesses competitive,” Suhuyini stated during the budget debate. He added that several national road corridors had been prioritized in the budget, including the Western corridor from Wenchi to Wa, the Eastern corridor from Aflao to the Upper East Region, and the Central corridor.

The Deputy Minister further disclosed that work on the current Accra to Kumasi dualisation project had progressed significantly and has been placed under the Big Push agenda for dedicated funding. He said the new expressway, which will feature about eight interchanges, is President Mahama’s headline project under the Big Push initiative and represents infrastructure that will impact the economy, produce jobs and create employment.

Suhuyini, who also serves as MP for Tamale North, revealed in a separate interview that the ministry is focused on developing first class roads to link major cities and regions across the country. He noted that Ghana currently does not have any first class road linking two major cities, whether from Accra to Cape Coast, Kumasi, or from Kumasi to Tamale.

The proposed expressway will be a completely new road alignment, not merely an upgrade of the existing N6 route. Plans are underway for this new alignment between Accra and Kumasi to ensure a direct first class road connection, possibly under a Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement. The government has indicated that work on the expressway will commence in 2026, with completion targeted within the current administration’s tenure.

Fellow opposition MP Patrick Boamah, who represents Okaikwei Central constituency, raised concerns during the debate about the government’s priorities. He pointed to the front cover of the budget document, saying it featured an image of the proposed expressway. Boamah questioned why the government would abandon the existing dualisation project when significant progress had already been made.

“What is the crime of the people of this country, especially from Accra to Paga and to Bawku?” Boamah asked. “For eight years, from 2009 to 2016, not a single kilometer of road was added by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government. You come into government again, and instead of you prioritizing the completion of the dualisation of the Accra to Kumasi road, you are telling us that you are going to construct an express road.”

Asenso Boakye had earlier written a letter to President Mahama cautioning against halting the ongoing dualisation project in favor of the proposed six lane expressway. In the letter, he warned that such a move could violate constitutional obligations and lead to a waste of public resources. He questioned the feasibility of the proposed new expressway, noting that no feasibility studies, design documents or secured funding were currently in place, despite promises that work would begin next year and conclude within three years.

The Accra to Kumasi corridor is the country’s most critical transport link, connecting major regions including Ashanti, Bono East, Northern, North East and Upper East. Kumasi serves as a central node for travelers heading to Bono, Savanna, Upper West, Western North and Ahafo regions. More than 10 million people, making up approximately 30 percent of Ghana’s population, reside in Accra, Kumasi and the major towns along this 240 kilometer stretch.

A 2001 study warned that unless critical sections of the highway were dualised, the economy would face severe disruptions. Between 2002 and 2008, rehabilitation and dualisation efforts reduced travel time from six to seven hours to just 2.5 hours. However, due to increased congestion, frequent accidents, environmental pollution and high vehicle operating costs, travel time between Accra and Kumasi has now risen to five and half hours, severely impacting national economic growth.

Asenso Boakye cautioned that if urgent action is not taken, the road will not withstand the next two rainy seasons, leading to even higher maintenance costs in the future. Responding to claims of cost overruns on the dualisation project, he said such issues were common in major infrastructure developments and can be addressed through proper contractual and legal means. He stressed that variations should not be used as a pretext to discontinue a critical national project.

“The people of Ghana deserve accountability and transparency in road infrastructure management,” Asenso Boakye concluded. “Announcing new projects is not enough; ongoing works must be completed efficiently and sustainably. Ghana deserves better. Our people deserve better. Let us stay the course, not start over for political showmanship.”

The debate reflects broader questions about infrastructure planning, fiscal discipline and the balance between completing existing projects and launching new flagship initiatives. As the 2026 Budget moves through parliamentary processes, the controversy over the Accra to Kumasi highway strategy is likely to remain a central point of contention between government and opposition lawmakers.