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Els MBN360 News
The Minister for Roads and Highways, Hon. Governs Kwame Agbodza, has given strong assurances that the government’s flagship Big Push road infrastructure programme is progressing steadily and will be completed within the stated timelines.
He described the initiative as a carefully planned national intervention designed to correct long-standing regional imbalances and restore connectivity across Ghana.
According to the Minister, the road sector faces challenges of varying severity across the country, with some regions suffering acute deprivation despite Ghana’s administrative expansion to sixteen regions. He noted that in several cases, even regional capitals are poorly connected to Accra, creating serious governance and coordination difficulties.
“Today, if the regional minister in Wa is called by the chief of staff to come for a consultation on something, if he misses a flight from Wa and needs to drive all the way on the Western Corridor all the way to Accra, that would be seen as a level of punishment because that road is not in good shape.”Minister for Roads and Highways, Hon. Governs Kwame Agbodza
He explained that these realities informed President John Dramani Mahama’s road master plan, unveiled ahead of the elections and branded the Big Push. The strategy, he said, deliberately prioritises trunk roads, which he described as the spine of the country.
By fixing these major arteries first, the government aims to unlock economic activity, ease movement, and create a foundation upon which other road networks can effectively function.
Key Corridors under Construction
The Minister outlined the key corridors that form the first phase of the programme. These include the Western Corridor running from Wenchi through Sawla to Hamile, the Eastern Corridor stretching from Tema through Peki, Hohoe and Kpasa toward the Burkina Faso border, and the Central Corridor linking Accra through Kumasi and Tamale to Bolgatanga.
He also highlighted major east-west connections, including Wa to Bolgatanga, Sawla through Damango to Tamale, and Aflao to Elubo. Together, these routes are designed to ensure that every region is connected directly or indirectly to the national capital.
Hon. Agbodza stressed that the Big Push was not conceived hastily. The corridors were studied, designed, and costed before being presented to the Ministry of Finance. He said the Finance Minister incorporated the program into the national budget, after which Parliament approved a multiyear commitment.
The government, he explained, has earmarked the country’s oil and mineral revenues to fund the programme and set a clear target to complete the first phase by the end of 2027.
Major Bridge Construction
Beyond road corridors, the Minister said major bridge projects are integral to the Big Push. These include the Dambai Bridge and the Adawso-Ekye Amanfrom Bridge, both of which are expected to significantly improve connectivity across key waterways.
He also addressed the long-delayed Volivo Bridge project in Accra, recalling that parliamentary approval for Japanese support was secured in 2016, but construction never commenced.
According to him, negotiations to close the funding gap through a Japanese grant have now been concluded, clearing the way for construction to begin around the middle of this year, with completion expected within three to four years. Hon. Agbodza described the scale of current investments as unprecedented, especially given Ghana’s fiscal constraints.
“So the President has got big plans backed by our own money, and sometimes I say that we are doing all this at a time when we cannot borrow. At a time we are unable to seek assistance from abroad because we are under an IMF program, and we are doing more than ever before”.Minister for Roads and Highways, Hon. Governs Kwame Agbodza
In his view, this demonstrates that development depends more on leadership, discipline, and prioritisation than on access to foreign loans. He argued that President Mahama’s approach has been to save resources and channel them into projects that directly affect citizens, rather than spending on what he described as needless items.
As a result, the government has so far awarded contracts valued at about fifty billion cedis under the Big Push and related road programmes. Providing a regional breakdown, the Minister said work is ongoing in every part of the country.
In the Western region, the Maban-Goaso project, which had been abandoned, has been revived and is now being asphalted, with completion expected within months.
In the Ashanti Region, contractors have moved to the site on the Kumasi Outer Ring Road, a greenfield project intended to divert traffic away from the Suame Interchange and ease congestion for vehicles travelling to the north.
The stalled Suame Interchange project itself has also been taken up, with outstanding certificates being settled to allow work to resume.
In the Bono Region, the Sunyani Outer Ring Road, which was started and abandoned for eight years, is being completed to form a full loop around the regional capital. Bono East is seeing progress on the Techima-Nkoransa-Wenchi Road, while the Central Region is benefiting from the dualisation of the Winneba Cape Coast road.
In the Eastern Region, work is advancing on the Adwaso-Ekye Amanfrom Bridge and other roads, while Greater Accra has multiple projects, including Dodowa-Afienya and the Motorway Central University stretch.
Hon. Agbodza added that rehabilitation works are ongoing in the North East on the Gintri Napanduri Road, while the Northern Region is seeing the construction of a third ring road around Tamale.
In the Oti Region, contracts for the Dambai Bridge have been executed and contractors are mobilising to site. He said work has resumed on sections of the Eastern Corridor toward Damango, with contractors back on site and major drainage works completed.
He further cited ongoing projects in the Savannah Region from Wenchi to Sawla, in the Upper East from Navrongo to Paga and surrounding areas, in the Upper West through Lawra and other districts, and in the Volta Region including Atimpoku and Aflao.
In the Western and Western North regions, projects include the dualisation of the Cape Coast Takoradi road and new construction in Dadieso and Sefwi Akontombra. According to him, these interventions collectively reflect the principle of using trunk routes to interconnect regions to the national capital.
Timely Payment
Addressing concerns from contractors about timely payment, the Minister said the President does not view the Big Push as a substitute for feeder roads. Rather, he explained, both are complementary.
“So at the same time, when he’s doing Big Push, if you notice that he announced a 1000-kilometre feeder road programme, which we are supposed to do with the World Bank.
“That road is supposed to identify the most economically viable centres of productivity in terms of agriculture to be linked to the trunk roads, the Big Push project. That will be a very important intervention.”Minister for Roads and Highways, Hon. Governs Kwame Agbodza
On payment prioritisation, Hon. Agbodza contrasted the current approach with decisions taken in 2017, when many inherited projects were suspended under the pretext of audits. He noted that those audits yielded no clear evidence of wrongdoing but caused delays that hurt communities and contractors.
The present administration, he said, is committed to continuity, accountability, and steady progress, with clear benchmarks to ensure contractors are paid and projects delivered on schedule.
In conclusion, the Minister expressed confidence that the Big Push remains firmly on course. By focusing on strategic corridors, reviving stalled projects, and aligning trunk and feeder roads, he said the government is laying a solid foundation for national development and improved mobility across Ghana.
