48 Engineer Regiment Appointed Major Sub-Contractor for Accra-Kumasi Expressway

​President John Dramani Mahama has announced that the 48 Engineer Regiment of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) will serve as a major sub-contractor for the construction of the new Accra-Kumasi Expressway. In addition to this assignment, the President directed the military unit to begin clearing the right-of-way for the proposed New Accra Orbital. The announcement, released through government spokesperson Felix Kwakye Ofosu, advances the administration's policy to expand the military's role in major national infrastructure projects under its flagship Big Push initiative.

​The decision builds on plans outlined by President Mahama in January 2026 to utilize the engineering unit's technical capacity for national road projects while enabling the Armed Forces to raise internally generated funds. The 48 Engineer Regiment has already taken a lead role in the preparatory phases of the project. As of September 14, 2026, the unit successfully cleared 175.6 kilometres of the expressway's right-of-way, with the completed stretch scheduled for formal handover to the government at Kwaso, near Ejisu.

​Progress on the expressway comes as the Ministry of Roads and Highways officially issued an invitation for prequalification for the main construction work on September 12. Designed as a six-lane, access-controlled highway, the project aims to reduce travel time between Accra and Kumasi from approximately five hours to roughly two hours by bypassing major urban bottlenecks and improving traffic safety. To ensure seamless execution, the government has secured $1.7 billion in funding, which is currently ring-fenced in a dedicated account at the Bank of Ghana awaiting the award of the primary contract.

​Alongside the highway project, the government is moving forward with the Accra Orbital Motorway, an outer ring road conceived to significantly relieve traffic congestion across the capital city. Together, both projects form a central pillar of President Mahama’s long-term infrastructure strategy, leveraging public engineering units and secured capital to modernize Ghana's primary transport corridors.

@VoltaToday