Accra-Tema Motorway expansion 53% complete, contractor urged to meet August 2027 deadline

The Chief Resident Engineer of Accra-Tema Expressway Limited (ATEL), Kwabena Bempong, has disclosed that work on the first section of the Accra-Tema Motorway and Extensions Project has reached 53 per cent completion, although construction is slightly behind schedule. Speaking at a media engagement in Accra on Wednesday, October 28, Mr Bempong expressed confidence that the contractor, Maripoma Enterprise Limited, would accelerate work to meet the August 2027 completion deadline.

The update comes 805 days after construction commenced in August 2024. Mr Bempong explained that the project would feature a two-lane, access-controlled expressway alongside an urban highway with three lanes in each direction. Some sections would be expanded to five lanes on each side to improve traffic flow and facilitate merging. The works also involve the construction of 20 box culverts, three bridges and pedestrian crossings, as well as improvements to the Tetteh Quarshie, Teshie, Community 18 and Lashibi interchanges.

He said the interventions were designed to improve connectivity between communities, reduce unsafe pedestrian crossings and minimise traffic disruptions. Providing further details during a site inspection, Project Manager Benjamin Sackey revealed that concrete works 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 spans 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 from the Tesano Police Station towards Achimota.

Meanwhile, ATEL Chief Executive Officer Louis Harrison said the motorway, which was opened in 1965, currently accommodates about 60,000 vehicles daily, significantly exceeding its original capacity. He explained that the expansion was intended to modernise the critical transport corridor and improve its contribution to Ghana’s economic development.

The US$339 million project is being undertaken through a 30-year public-private partnership toll-road concession, under which ATEL will finance, reconstruct, expand, operate and maintain the motorway. The Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF) is sponsoring the project, with the Ministry of Roads and Highways and the Ghana Highway Authority serving as public-sector partners.

Mr Harrison indicated that the overall financing requirement was approximately US$380 million, with the final financing arrangement partly dependent on the proposed toll charges. Although Parliament has approved the concession agreement, the toll rates are yet to be determined and will require parliamentary consideration. He further disclosed that ATEL was exploring loans from domestic banks in local currency to minimise foreign-exchange risks, alongside long-term pension fund financing for subsequent phases.

Procurement processes for the second and third sections are ongoing, with plans to implement the phases concurrently to complete the entire programme within 48 months. Financing challenges and project delays A member of the project’s Independent Project Advisory team, David Ofosu-Dorte, attributed the lengthy preparatory process to financing and procurement challenges dating back to 2019.

He explained that initial assessments identified a funding shortfall of nearly US$100 million, while the cancellation of road tolls in November 2021 further weakened investor confidence. Consequently, the project was divided into phases to allow construction of the first section to proceed while financing arrangements for the remaining sections were developed.

GIIF’s Deputy Managing Director for Investment, Bennett Akantoa, acknowledged public concerns about the pace of construction and expressed hope that improved communication would address them. As part of efforts to enhance transparency, ATEL launched a dedicated project website to provide regular updates on construction progress, traffic diversions, major milestones and safety advisories.

Mr Akantoa added that the motorway expansion aligned with President John Dramani Mahama’s broader agenda to improve road infrastructure across the country.