The contract for the Accra-Kumasi Expressway has not been awarded, the Minister of Roads and Highways, Governs Kwame Agbodza, confirmed during an inspection of the Accra-Kumasi bypass project on Tuesday, September 29, 2026. The government is still in the pre-qualification phase, assessing contractors to determine who can handle the project.
“By the President’s own vision in line with our 70th anniversary, we are going to commence work on Accra-Kumasi Expressway. We are currently going through the first phase, which is the pre-qualification. That is to determine those who are capable of doing this work and the process will go on,” Agbodza said.
He dismissed recent reports that the contract had already been awarded as false. “I saw a very spurious publication somewhere that the project has been awarded to someone. How sometimes people get to that level of conclusion is difficult to understand,” he added.
The Minister explained that the procurement process has not reached the point of selecting a contractor. “We are going through a process of procurement; we haven’t even done halfway and yet somebody got enough time to say they have awarded it to somebody,” Agbodza said.
The government plans to follow due procedure without disruption. “Disregard all those unnecessary disruptions. We are focused on the Accra-Kumasi bypass project and we are committed to making sure that, in line with the President’s vision, we are going to complete the project,” he said.
The Expression of Interest for the pre-qualification of contractors was published on September 11, 2026. The contract award is expected before the end of the year.
Once finished, the expressway will shorten the distance between Accra and Kumasi by about 50 kilometres. It will cut travel time from roughly six hours to two hours and reduce travel costs by around 40%.
Financing for the project has already begun. During the 2026 Mid-Year Fiscal Policy Review, Dr Forson told Parliament that US$1.7 billion had been deposited into a dedicated Accra-Kumasi Expressway Account at the Bank of Ghana. This money is ring-fenced for the project.
At the project handover ceremony, President Mahama announced that an initial $2 billion is now available for work to start. He said the amount is expected to reach $4 billion by the end of the year to cover the full cost.
The Minister’s comments clarify the status of the project amid growing public interest and misinformation. The government continues its procurement process, aiming to begin construction soon.
According to 3News.
