ATEL launches website to provide updates on Accra-Tema Motorway expansion project

Accra-Tema Expressway Limited (ATEL) has launched a dedicated website to provide the public with regular updates on the ongoing Accra-Tema Motorway and Extensions Project. The platform, unveiled during a media engagement in Accra on Wednesday, October 28, is expected to improve transparency and keep motorists and other road users informed about construction progress, traffic diversions, project milestones and safety advisories.

The initiative comes amid growing public concerns over delays in the reconstruction and expansion of the motorway, which serves as a major transport corridor connecting Accra to Tema. Speaking at the event, the Deputy Managing Director for Investment at the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF), Bennett Akantoa, acknowledged concerns about the pace of construction.

He expressed optimism that the website would provide timely and reliable information to help the public monitor progress and better understand developments surrounding the project. Mr Akantoa also noted that the initiative aligned with President John Dramani Mahama’s broader agenda to improve road infrastructure across the country. Meanwhile, the Chief Resident Engineer of ATEL, Kwabena Bempong, disclosed that work on the first section of the project had reached 53 per cent completion, although construction was slightly behind schedule.

Read Also: Accra-Tema Motorway expansion 53% complete, contractor urged to meet August 2027 deadline He expressed confidence that the contractor, Maripoma Enterprise Limited, would intensify work to meet the August 2027 completion deadline. The update comes 805 days after construction commenced in August 2024. Providing further details during a site inspection, Project Manager Benjamin Sackey indicated that concrete structures were approximately 70 per cent complete, while four kilometres of road base had been prepared for asphalt laying.

He added that two bridges along the urban highway had been completed, seven footbridges were at various stages of construction, and two interchanges were substantially complete. The entire project covers approximately 27.7 kilometres, comprising the 19.5-kilometre section currently under construction, a 5.7-kilometre stretch between Tetteh Quarshie and Apenkwa, and a 2.5-kilometre section of the N6 near the Tesano Police Station towards Achimota.

The first section will feature a two-lane, access-controlled expressway alongside an urban highway with three lanes in each direction, with some portions expanding to five lanes to improve traffic flow. Other works include 20 box culverts, three bridges, pedestrian crossings and improvements to the Tetteh Quarshie, Teshie, Community 18 and Lashibi interchanges.

ATEL’s Chief Executive Officer, Louis Harrison, explained that the motorway, which opened in 1965, now accommodates approximately 60,000 vehicles daily, exceeding its original capacity. He said the US$339 million project was intended to modernise the motorway and improve its contribution to economic activities. The project is being implemented under a 30-year public-private partnership toll-road concession, with ATEL responsible for financing, reconstruction, expansion, operation and maintenance.

Mr Harrison disclosed that the overall financing requirement was approximately US$380 million, with the final arrangement partly dependent on toll charges yet to be determined and submitted to Parliament for consideration. He added that procurement for the second and third sections was ongoing, with plans to overlap construction activities to ensure the entire programme was completed within 48 months.

A member of the project’s Independent Project Advisory team, David Ofosu-Dorte, attributed earlier delays to financing and procurement challenges dating back to 2019, including a funding shortfall of nearly US$100 million and the cancellation of road tolls in November 2021. He explained that the project was subsequently divided into phases to facilitate implementation and secure financing for the remaining sections.