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The planned Accra-Kumasi Expressway will feature eight grade-separated interchanges, 11 vehicle overpasses and 55 mainline bridges as part of infrastructure designed to improve road safety and ease traffic along the corridor.
Managing Director of the Accra-Kumasi Expressway Limited, Engineer Francis Ahlidza, disclosed this on Monday, September 14, at a ceremony marking the handover of a 175.6-kilometre right-of-way cleared by the Ghana Armed Forces.
According to him, the project will cover approximately 198.7 kilometres between Ablekuma in the Greater Accra Region and Sewua in the Ashanti Region.
The project comprises about 176 kilometres of newly constructed expressway and approximately 23 kilometres of upgraded connector roads at the Accra and Kumasi ends.
Three-lane dual carriageway
Engineer Ahlidza said the mainline will be constructed as a Class A highway, featuring a three-lane dual carriageway on a 36-metre standard roadbed.
The expressway will have a design speed of 120 kilometres per hour, while the connector roads will be Class B roads with a speed limit of 60 kilometres per hour.
The project will also include nine at-grade intersections, about 200 reinforced concrete box culverts and four service areas, where motorists can rest, eat and attend to their vehicles.
Tolling and monitoring infrastructure
The expressway is expected to have eight tolling locations, one operating centre and two monitoring centres.
The facilities will support traffic monitoring and enable authorities to respond more quickly to incidents along the corridor.
The project will further include a fire service and ambulance station, three maintenance depots, road safety systems and electromechanical works to support an intelligent transport system.
Expected impact
Engineer Ahlidza said the expressway is expected to reduce the distance between Accra and Kumasi by approximately 50 kilometres, cut journey times by 50% and reduce travel costs by about 40%.
“When completed, this road will provide safer and more reliable transport and reduce the pressure on the N6,” he said.
The project is expected to provide an alternative high-capacity route between the two major cities while improving connectivity and road safety along the Accra-Kumasi corridor.