Construction on the first section of the Accra Tema Motorway and Extensions Project has reached 53 per cent completion, with the contractor expected to accelerate work to meet the August 2027 deadline.
Chief Resident Engineer of Associated Consultants Limited, Ing. Kwabena Bempong, disclosed the progress during a media engagement in Accra on Wednesday, October 28, expressing confidence that Maripoma Enterprise Limited would intensify construction activities to deliver the project on schedule.
The update comes more than two years after construction began in August 2024, with significant progress reported on bridges, concrete works, interchanges and road preparation.
Associated Consultants Limited is providing supervision services as the Employer’s Representative Agent, working alongside the Ghana Highway Authority to monitor the execution of the first section.
Ing. Bempong explained that the project would feature a two lane, access controlled expressway alongside an urban highway with three lanes in each direction. Selected sections would be widened to five lanes on each side to improve traffic flow and facilitate the safe merging of vehicles.
The construction works also include 20 box culverts, three bridges, pedestrian crossings and improvements to the Tetteh Quarshie, Teshie, Community 18 and Lashibi interchanges.
The interventions are intended to strengthen connectivity between communities, reduce dangerous pedestrian crossings and minimise traffic disruptions along the busy transport corridor.
During a site inspection, Project Manager Benjamin Sackey disclosed 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 different stages of construction, and two interchanges were substantially complete.
The overall programme covers approximately 27.7 kilometres. This includes 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 extending from the Tesano Police Station towards Achimota.
Chief Executive Officer of ATEL, Louis Harrison, said the expansion was critical to modernising a transport facility that had become increasingly inadequate for the volume of traffic it carries.
He noted that the motorway, which opened in 1965, currently handles approximately 60,000 vehicles daily, significantly exceeding its original capacity.
According to him, the expansion would improve the efficiency of the strategic transport corridor and strengthen its contribution to Ghana’s economic development.
The US$339 million project is being implemented under a 30 year public private partnership toll road concession. Under the arrangement, ATEL will finance, reconstruct, expand, operate and maintain the motorway.
The Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund is sponsoring the project, with the Ministry of Roads and Highways and the Ghana Highway Authority serving as public sector partners.
Mr Harrison disclosed that the overall financing requirement was approximately US$380 million, with the final financing structure partly dependent on the proposed toll charges.
Although Parliament has approved the concession agreement, the toll rates have yet to be determined and will require parliamentary consideration.
He said ATEL was exploring financing from domestic banks in local currency to reduce exposure to foreign exchange risks, while also considering long term funding from pension funds for subsequent phases of the project.
Meanwhile, procurement processes for the second and third sections are ongoing, with plans to execute the phases concurrently and complete the entire programme within 48 months.
Explaining the delays that preceded construction, 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 said initial assessments had identified a funding shortfall of nearly US$100 million, while the cancellation of road tolls in November 2021 further weakened investor confidence and complicated the financing arrangements.
The project was subsequently divided into phases to allow construction of the first section to proceed while funding arrangements for the remaining sections were developed.
Deputy Managing Director for Investment at the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund, Bennett Akantoa, acknowledged public concerns about the pace of construction but expressed optimism that improved communication would help address the concerns.
As part of efforts to enhance transparency, ATEL has 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 formed part of President John Dramani Mahama’s broader agenda to improve road infrastructure and strengthen transportation networks across the country.
