MP challenges Accra-Kumasi Expressway cost, proposes dual transport solution instead

A key debate over Ghana's transport infrastructure strategy has surfaced, with Akim Swedru MP Kennedy Nyarko Osei questioning the financial priorities behind the proposed Accra-Kumasi Expressway. The legislator contends that the substantial investment earmarked for the new expressway could be more efficiently deployed to both rehabilitate the existing highway and construct a modern railway corridor linking the nation's two largest cities.

Osei's challenge strikes at the heart of infrastructure planning in Ghana, where competing demands for transport investment have long created difficult choices for policymakers. His intervention via social media highlights growing scrutiny of the expressway project as government officials prepare to secure funding by the end of 2026, with Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson indicating the project will proceed without fresh external borrowing.

The alternative proposal: roads and rail

Rather than building entirely new infrastructure, the Akim Swedru legislator suggests a phased approach that addresses existing deficiencies whilst expanding transport capacity. The existing Accra-Kumasi highway, one of Ghana's busiest commercial routes, requires substantial rehabilitation work that has been deferred for years. Osei argues this maintenance backlog should take priority, with any remaining funds allocated to railway development.

The MP references a railway project costing approximately US$1.7 billion to construct a 304-kilometre line between Accra and Kumasi. By comparison, if the expressway budget exceeds this figure, his logic suggests that simultaneous investment in both transport modes becomes feasible, assuming proper fund allocation and project management.

This dual-infrastructure approach would expand Ghana's transport ecosystem significantly. A functioning railway corridor would offer freight operators and passengers a viable alternative to the congested Accra-Kumasi highway, potentially reducing vehicle volumes on this critical corridor and lowering accident risks on a stretch notorious for traffic fatalities.

Why it matters for Ghana

Ghana's transport infrastructure remains a bottleneck for economic growth, particularly along the Accra-Kumasi corridor, which connects the capital to the Ashanti Region's industrial and commercial hub. Investment decisions made now will shape the country's logistics efficiency and competitiveness for decades.

The expressway-versus-alternatives debate reflects broader questions about infrastructure strategy: should Ghana continue prioritising road networks, or diversify into rail and multimodal transport systems? Most West African economies struggle with ageing road networks whilst lacking modern rail capacity, creating vulnerability to congestion and inefficiency.

Rail transport offers distinct advantages in a developing economy context. It reduces road maintenance costs from heavy freight traffic, provides lower per-tonne transport costs for bulk goods, and offers safety benefits over road haulage. For Ghana specifically, a functioning Accra-Kumasi railway could integrate with planned rail corridors to Takoradi and the Northern Region, creating a nationwide network.

Additionally, the timing of this debate matters. With government committing to raise expressway funds without additional external debt, stakeholders are reasonably asking whether scarce capital should be allocated more strategically across multiple transport modes rather than concentrated on a single project.

Osei's intervention represents the kind of parliamentary scrutiny that infrastructure projects require in Ghana, particularly when significant public resources are involved. Whether his proposal influences final government decisions remains unclear, but the underlying infrastructure trade-offs he raises—between building new capacity versus rehabilitating existing assets, and between different transport modes—will likely remain central to Ghana's development planning debates.