Chief Resident Engineer Kwabena Bempong of Accra‑Tema Expressway Limited (ATEL) announced that the first section of the Accra‑Tema Motorway and Extensions Project is 53 per cent finished, though slightly behind schedule. The announcement came during a media engagement in Accra on Wednesday, October 28.
Mr Bempong expressed confidence that the contractor, Maripoma Enterprise Limited, would accelerate the remaining work to meet the August 2027 completion deadline. The project began on August 2024, making the update 805 days into construction.
The expansion will feature a two‑lane, access‑controlled expressway alongside an urban highway with three lanes each way, with some stretches widened to five lanes to ease traffic flow and facilitate merging. The works also include 20 box culverts, three bridges, pedestrian crossings, and upgrades to the Tetteh Quarshie, Teshie, Community 18 and Lashibi interchanges.
Project Manager Benjamin Sackey added that concrete works are about 70 per cent complete and that four kilometres of road base have been prepared for asphalt. Two bridges on the urban highway are finished, seven footbridges are at various stages, and two interchanges are substantially complete.
The 27.7‑kilometre project comprises the 19.5‑kilometre section 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.
ATEL Chief Executive Officer Louis Harrison noted that the original 1965 motorway now handles about 60,000 vehicles daily, far exceeding its initial capacity. The $339 million expansion is being pursued through a 30‑year public‑private partnership toll‑road concession, with ATEL responsible for financing, reconstructing, expanding, operating and maintaining the corridor.
The Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF) sponsors the project, while the Ministry of Roads and Highways and the Ghana Highway Authority act as public‑sector partners. Mr Harrison said the overall financing requirement is roughly $380 million, with final arrangements partly dependent on proposed toll charges, which remain to be set by Parliament.
ATEL is exploring domestic bank loans in local currency to reduce foreign‑exchange risk and long‑term pension‑fund financing for later phases. Procurement for the second and third sections is underway, with plans to run the phases concurrently to finish the entire programme within 48 months.
Independent Project Advisory team member David Ofosu‑Dorte attributed the lengthy preparatory period to financing and procurement challenges dating back to 2019, including a $100 million shortfall and the 2021 cancellation of road tolls that dampened investor confidence. The project was therefore split into phases to allow the first section to proceed while financing for the remaining sections was secured.
GIIF Deputy Managing Director for Investment Bennett Akantoa acknowledged public concerns about the construction pace and hopes that better communication will allay them. ATEL has launched a dedicated project website to provide regular updates on progress, traffic diversions, milestones and safety advisories.
Mr Akantoa added that the motorway expansion aligns with President John Dramani Mahama’s broader agenda to improve road infrastructure across the country. The project’s progress will be closely watched as it aims to modernise a critical transport corridor and boost Ghana’s economic development.
