Mahama Unveils 50 Road Projects Under GH¢50bn ‘Big Push’ Drive

President John Dramani Mahama has unveiled a sweeping nationwide infrastructure programme under his flagship “Big Push” initiative, announcing that 50 major road projects covering 1,144 kilometres are currently in progress at an estimated cost of GH¢50 billion.

Speaking during the 2026 State of the Nation Address (SONA) in Parliament in Accra on Friday, February 27, he described the initiative as the largest investment in Ghana’s road sector to date. The programme, he said, is intended to unlock key economic corridors, generate employment and lower the cost of doing business.

Beyond the new projects, the government is also completing 23 inherited road contracts spanning 573 kilometres at a cost of GH¢15 billion. Altogether, nearly 2,000 kilometres of roads are being rehabilitated across all 16 regions, with 73 projects already showing visible progress and more expected to advance significantly before the end of the year.

Accra-Kumasi Expressway

A key highlight of the plan is the proposed 198.7-kilometre, six-lane Accra–Kumasi Expressway. The limited-access motorway — the first of its kind in the country — is expected to reduce travel time between Accra and Kumasi to about two and a half hours. It will feature eight interchanges and modern safety systems.

To oversee the project, government has set up the Accra-Kumasi Expressway Limited, a subsidiary of the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund, to manage its design, financing, construction, operation and maintenance under a concession arrangement of up to 50 years. Feasibility studies and detailed designs are currently ongoing.

Key Road and Bridge Projects

Other priority works include the completion of the Eastern Corridor Road by 2027, the expansion of the Accra–Tema Motorway into a four-lane expressway with service roads and interchanges, and the Kumasi Inner Ring Road.

Major bridge projects are also advancing, including the Dambai Bridge over the River Oti and the Adawso Bridge over the River Afram.

The President further announced that the Ministry of Roads has secured approval to reintroduce road tolls using advanced technology to improve transparency and curb revenue leakages, with operations expected to resume later this year.

Transport, Aviation and Ports Expansion

To strengthen public transport, government has procured 300 buses for Intercity STC Coaches Limited, Metro Mass Transit Limited and selected private operators. The first batch of 100 buses is expected by the end of the first quarter.

In the aviation sector, passenger traffic handled by Ghana Airports Company Limited increased to 3.625 million in 2025, up from 3.4 million in 2024. To ease congestion at Terminal 3 of Kotoka International Airport, Terminal 2 will be remodelled into a dual-purpose domestic and international facility. Plans include a new concourse, a seven-storey car park, a hotel and expanded retail space, alongside ongoing runway expansion works.

The President added that new regional airports are planned for Sunyani, Bolgatanga and Wa. Rail modernisation efforts are also continuing, including operationalising the Tema–Pakadan rail line and upgrading the western and eastern corridors.

At the ports, a 24-hour operational system has commenced at Tema Port to ease congestion and improve trade efficiency, while Cabinet has reviewed feasibility studies for the proposed Keta Port project.

President Mahama emphasised that the integrated transport and infrastructure drive is central to Ghana’s economic transformation, declaring that the entire country will effectively become a construction hub as projects gather momentum nationwide.