KWASO, Ghana, 14th September: President John Dramani Mahama says the proposed Accra-Kumasi Expressway will drastically reduce travel time between Ghana’s two largest cities, potentially cutting the journey from the current five or six hours to about two hours.
Speaking at Kwaso in the Ashanti Region during the ceremony marking the completion of the Ghana Armed Forces’ right-of-way clearance for the project, President Mahama said the new expressway would transform travel between Accra and Kumasi.
The proposed expressway will measure 198.7 kilometres, compared with the approximately 270-kilometre existing Accra-Kumasi highway.
President Mahama explained that the new alignment would shave almost 70 kilometres off the travelling distance between the two cities.
He said motorists travelling at an average speed of 100 kilometres per hour could complete the journey in about two hours.
“Even if he is travelling at 100 kilometres 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,” he said.
The President said the recommended speed on the completed expressway would be 120 kilometres per hour.
He explained that the six-lane highway would provide separate lanes for motorists travelling at different speeds, allowing slower vehicles and heavy trucks to remain on the outer lane while faster vehicles use the inner lanes.
President Mahama used a typical business-day scenario to illustrate the potential benefits of the project.
He said a person could leave Kumasi at 6 a.m., arrive in Accra by 8 a.m., conduct business during the day and return to Kumasi by 7 p.m.
According to him, the improved connectivity would not only benefit commuters but also support commercial activity and economic integration between the two major cities.
The President described the project as long overdue, noting that Accra and Kumasi are Ghana’s two largest population centres and major hubs of commercial and economic activity.
The project will also include eight interchanges and four rest stops, providing motorists with access to fuel, food, shopping and other services along the route.
President Mahama said CCTV cameras would also be installed along the expressway to monitor motorists and discourage dangerous driving.
The Ghana Armed Forces have already completed the clearance of 175.6 kilometres of the project’s right-of-way, from Ablekuma in the Greater Accra Region to Sewua in the Ashanti Region.
The clearance was completed in 19 weeks, one week ahead of the original 20-week deadline.
Story by: Emmanuel Romeo Tetteh(#RomeoWrites✍️)/ Presidential Affairs Correspondent | Ghana 🇬🇭
