Ghana’s Minister for Roads and Highways, Kwame Governs Agbodza, says the government is pushing ahead with an ambitious, self-financed overhaul of the country’s road network, promising to tackle long-neglected highways, stalled bridge projects and urban bottlenecks despite tight fiscal conditions under an International Monetary Fund programme.
In an exclusive interview on TV3 NewDay will Roland Walker, Hon Agbodza, who is also the Member of Parliament for Adaklu, outlined what he described as President John Mahama’s “Big Push” agenda, a multi-year plan to rehabilitate and expand trunk roads that form the backbone of national and regional connectivity.
“We are not here to complain. We are here to fix problems,” Agbodza said, noting that the administration inherited badly deteriorated roads and a large backlog of unpaid contractor arrears. “Leadership is about prioritising what matters to people, even when you cannot borrow.”
Trunk roads as national spine
At the heart of the Big Push is a focus on trunk roads linking Ghana’s regions to Accra and to one another. Hon Agbodza said the programme prioritises three main corridors, western, eastern and central, alongside east–west connections, ensuring that all 16 regions are touched in the first phase.
He cited the Western Corridor from Wenchi through Sola to Hamile, the Eastern Corridor stretching from Tema through Ho and Tamale to the Burkina Faso border, and the Central Corridor linking Accra, Kumasi and Tamale. The aim, he said, is to remove isolation, particularly for regional capitals that remain difficult to reach by road.
“It should not be a punishment for a regional minister to drive to Accra if they miss a flight,” he said, referring to the poor condition of parts of the western route.
The first phase of the Big Push, expected to be completed by the end of 2027, is budgeted at more than 50 billion cedis and is being financed largely through oil and mineral revenues, approved by Parliament as a multi-year commitment.
Bridges and stalled projects revived
Agbodza highlighted three major bridge projects as symbols of the reset. He said contracts are being finalised for a 3-kilometre bridge over the Volta River system at Amo, which would become Ghana’s longest bridge. Work is also set to begin on the long-delayed Volivo Bridge, backed by Japanese grant financing, with construction expected to start later this year and last three to four years.
In the Oti Region, the Dambai Bridge, another long-awaited crossing has been awarded and contractors are mobilising to site, he said.
Beyond bridges, Hon Agbodza said dozens of stalled or abandoned road projects have been revived across the country, including the Kumasi Outer Ring Road, sections of the Accra–Kasoa–Winneba highway, and roads in Bono, Bono East, the Central, Northern and Upper regions.
“We took a conscious decision not to cancel inherited projects,” he said, contrasting the approach with that of the previous administration, which suspended many road works during audits. “Contractors were told: continue working, you will be paid.”
Paying contractors, restoring confidence
According to Hon Agbodza, the government has already paid nearly 10 billion cedis in arrears owed to contractors, much of it for projects awarded under the previous administration. He said this has helped restore confidence in the state and encouraged contractors to return to site.
Payments, he added, are now processed digitally through the government’s financial management system, removing the need for contractors to lobby ministers directly. “I don’t sign cheques,” he said. “Once your certificate is validated and revenue is raised, the system pays you.”
Separate payments are also being made through the Road Maintenance Trust Fund to clear smaller arrears, including amounts owed to roadside maintenance workers, some dating back several years.
Accra–Kumasi expressway debate
One of the most high-profile proposals is a new Accra–Kumasi expressway, designed as a greenfield, high-speed alternative to the existing road. Hon Agbodza said feasibility studies and designs are under way, with an estimated cost of between $3bn and $4bn, though final figures will depend on engineering assessments.
The expressway, he stressed, would complement rather than replace the existing road, giving users a choice between a slower, toll-free route and a faster tolled option. Construction could begin later this year once feasibility work is completed.
Managing inconvenience and enforcing standards
Acknowledging public frustration over congestion and diversions, particularly around Accra, Hon Agbodza said contractors have been instructed to better sequence works and communicate disruptions. He also said lessons had been learned from earlier projects where rehabilitation and expansion were done simultaneously, worsening traffic.
To protect new investments, the ministry is tightening axle-load enforcement. Parliament has approved an increase in penalties for overloading trucks from 5,000 cedis to 50,000 cedis, with further measures under consideration, including confiscating and auctioning excess cargo.
“If we invest billions and allow a few people to destroy the roads, it will all be wasted,” he said.
Beyond highways
While trunk roads dominate the Big Push, Hon Agbodza said feeder roads remain critical. A separate 1,000-kilometre feeder road programme, supported by the World Bank, is planned to link productive agricultural and tourism areas to major highways.
Urban roads, he added, are being treated differently from the past, with a focus on fixing underlying drainage and base problems rather than cosmetic resurfacing.
“We don’t want to treat malaria with paracetamol,” he said.
As he marked a year in office, Hon Agbodza said the scale of the task remained daunting but insisted the direction was clear. “This is about a reset,” he said. “Fixing roads is not politics, it is productivity, dignity and national development.”