President John Mahama has announced plans to commence construction of the long-awaited Accra-Kumasi Expressway, describing the project as a major milestone under his administration’s ambitious infrastructure agenda.

Speaking at the 77th Annual New Year School at the University of Ghana on Tuesday, January 6, President Mahama said the government is investing heavily in national development through its Big Push Program.

“We are investing massively in improving our infrastructure. And this year, we invested more than $13 billion in our Big Push Program. In 2026, we have allocated a whopping sum of $30.8 billion for the Big Push Program," he said.

"This will see massive improvements in our road network, in rail, in aviation, in health, in education, in agribusiness, and manufacturing."

Highlighting the importance of the Accra-Kumasi Expressway, the President pointed to the daily challenges of traffic congestion between Ghana’s two largest cities.

"For those who have spoken against this expressway, I wish that they were in the traffic jam over the New Year. When one single church holding a convention brought the Accra-Kumasi road into gridlock for more than seven hours. Accra is the biggest city in Ghana and the capital. Kumasi is the next biggest city in Ghana.

"And the traffic between these two cities, it's a shame that we have a single-lane road linking our two major cities. This will be a thing of the past, and I'm looking forward to cutting sod early this year for the commencement of construction of the Accra-Kumasi Expressway," he said.

The President also revealed plans to inaugurate a task force to begin the demarcation and design of the Green Digital City, a smart urban project spanning the Greater Accra, Eastern, and Volta regions.

The city aims to relocate select government offices and institutions to ease congestion in Accra. He stressed that the initiative will not change Accra’s status as the capital.

"For those people who miscommunicate and try to twist my words, the new city will not be the capital. The capital will continue to be the seat of government, and it will be the capital of Ghana. 

"But we'll create a new city that will be smart, that will be innovative, there will be no kiosks, no containers, and no beggars on the streets.”