President John Dramani Mahama last Wednesday announced plans by his government to construct a six-lane expressway to link Accra and Kumasi.
This expressway according to the President, would be different from the currently ongoing dualisation of the existing stretch that links the country’s two biggest commercial cities.
The announcement was made during a meeting with the chiefs and people of the Ashanti Region in Kumasi as part of his ‘Thank You Tour’ to the area.
To affirm his government’s commitment to the project, he noted that feasibility and design works were already underway, with sod-cutting scheduled for early next year to pave the way for actual construction to begin.
“Don’t confuse the Accra-Kumasi expressway with the Accra-Kumasi dualisation project. They are two separate projects. The expressway is three lanes on each side and will cut the travel distance by 50 kilometres. It will enhance logistical movement and strengthen national integration,” the President is quoted.
In a bid to further throw more light on the scope of work to be undertaken on the road, the President stated that: “The expressway will have rest stops, filling stations and all facilities for safe travel between Accra and Kumasi. We will toll the expressway so that the money generated will go to pay for the cost of construction.”
For us on The Ghanaian Times, we are more than elated by the assurance that this audacious but necessary project would be funded under the ‘Big Push’ infrastructure initiative. Indeed, we cannot but agree with the President that the Accra-Kumasi project forms part of a broader plan to unlock the productivity of the region and the country as a whole.
Beyond our elation, we want to commend, the President for this vision, which will not only reduce travel time but also enhance road safety.
There is no gainsaying that the Accra-Kumasi highway, although undoubtedly the busiest road linking any two capitals in the country, has long become a nightmare for commuters and, tragically, a death trap.
Despite serving as a critical artery, connecting Accra with the Ashanti Region, the Bono Regions, and all five northern regions, the current form of the road is riddled with potholes, uneven surfaces, and lacking adequate lighting systems making it more of a death trap.
It is important to emphasise that the highway falls far short of its national importance as what should ordinarily be a four-hour journey now routinely takes over five to six hours due to its poor condition.
With an estimated 10,000 vehicles using the road daily, and tens of thousands of passengers commuting for social and economic purposes, the need for a new, modern expressway cannot be overstated. The road holds the key to unlocking economic opportunities between southern and northern Ghana.
As we await more details, especially on costing, scope and timelines, The Ghanaian Times would want to find out what would happen to the current ongoing dualisation of that same stretch?
Like it is often said “Plenty of meat does not spoil the soup” our question is not in any way intended to cast doubt over the new project as spelt out by the President, but to rather help seek clarification as well as to preempt mischief makers who would want to politicise this all important project, especially in this era of mis-and-disinformation which has become a canker ripping our society apart.
We believe that the construction of this project would not serve as a landmark development, but would transform the travel experience between Accra and Kumasi, as such all stakeholders must support the President and his government to see this project through to its logical conclusion.