The John Mahama administration has revised the completion date for the Suame Interchange project to 2028, shifting from an earlier 2027 timeline, as authorities defend expanded road investments around Kumasi.
The Minister for Roads and Highways, Kwame Governs Agbodza, and contractors announced the new timeline during a site tour on Tuesday (28 April), saying the adjustment reflects additional infrastructure works designed to ease congestion in the Ashanti regional capital.
He said the government had directed the Finance Ministry to clear more than 12 billion cedis in arrears owed to contractors, indicating that the Suame Interchange project itself had not lost funding, stressing that an additional 3 billion cedis had instead been committed to construct a bypass system around Kumasi to divert traffic.
“In effect, we are not taking a cedi out of the Suame Interchange project; we are rather adding 3 billion Ghana cedis,” he said, adding that parts of the project would be completed by the end of 2026 while work continues on the wider Kumasi Road Network.
“It is very clear that President Mahama is not a president who came to abandon any project…And so, Asanteman can rest assured that President Mahama means well. He intends to complete this project by the end of 2028. “
Design change
Agbodza also attributed the design change from a four-tier to a three-tier interchange to evolving infrastructure plans in the area, including a 100-kilometre bypass expected to reduce congestion by redirecting through-traffic away from the city centre.
The project forms part of a wider road development push under President John Dramani Mahama, aimed at improving connectivity and easing transport bottlenecks.
The Roads Minister was joined on the tour by senior officials, including the Ashanti Regional Minister Frank Amoakohene and other government and security representatives.
Expressway
Authorities say progress is also underway on the planned Accra–Kumasi expressway, which is expected to significantly cut travel time between the two cities when completed.
Funded under the Big Push Road infrastructure programme, he said the all-important project would improve connectivity between Accra and Kumasi while reducing travel time.
“If the project is completed, one should be able to drive from Accra to Kumasi in two hours. This will be a departure from the current six-hour journey between both cities,” he had told Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.
Record time
Mr. Agbodza stated that the route would not pass through communities, potentially ensuring the project’s completion and delivery in record time, saying, “This will be a freeway which will reduce travel time along the corridor.”
He assured the Asantehene that construction of the Expressway would not affect the ongoing Accra-Kumasi Road dualization project, adding that the necessary funds had been allocated in the budget for its completion.
The Director of Engineering Services of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), Colonel Jonas Wiafe, said the military would play a key role in the initial phase by clearing the right-of-way within the designated area for the expressway project.
The exercise, which he said would be completed within 20 weeks, would cover a total of 80 kilometres within the Ashanti Region to pave the way for the actual construction to commence.
MP visit
The Member of Parliament for Suame, John Darko, has inspected ongoing works on the Suame Interchange project following the contractor’s return to the site after months of suspension.
The visit, conducted on Sunday (26 April), saw the MP tour construction areas within the Suame Magazine enclave and along the Suame–Offinso road, where he interacted with traders and spare parts dealers affected by the project.
Many residents in the area had previously staged demonstrations and blocked sections of the road, citing dust pollution and disruptions to business activities after works stalled for several months.
During his interaction, Darko assured constituents that he would continue his advocacy efforts, which he said helped the contractor return to the site to complete the multi-tier interchange project.
“I also had the honour of interacting with my employers—the people of Suame, whose patience and support continue to inspire this project,” he said in a social media post, adding that efforts were ongoing to ensure completion.
