The Accra-Kumasi Expressway will feature eight grade-separated interchanges, 11 vehicle overpasses and 55 mainline bridges, as part of infrastructure designed to improve road safety and ease traffic congestion along the corridor.
The Managing Director of Accra-Kumasi Expressway Limited, Engineer Francisco, disclosed this at the handover ceremony for a 175.6-kilometre right-of-way cleared by the Ghana Armed Forces on Monday, September 14.
According to him, the project will cover approximately 198.7 kilometres from Ablekuma in the Greater Accra Region to Sewua in the Ashanti Region. It will comprise about 176 kilometres of newly constructed expressway and 23 kilometres of upgraded connector roads at the Accra and Kumasi ends.
He said the mainline would be a Class A highway featuring a three-lane dual carriageway on a 36-metre standard roadbed, with a design speed of 120 kilometres per hour. The connector roads, he added, would be Class B roads with a speed limit of 60 kilometres per hour.
Engineer Francisco said the expressway would also include nine at-grade intersections, approximately 200 reinforced concrete box culverts and four service areas where motorists could rest, eat or attend to their vehicles.
The project would also feature eight tolling locations, one operations centre and two monitoring centres to support traffic management and enable authorities to respond promptly to incidents along the corridor.
Additionally, the expressway will include a fire service and ambulance station, three maintenance depots, road safety systems and electromechanical works to support an intelligent transport system.
Engineer Francisco said the project is expected to reduce the distance between Accra and Kumasi by about 50 kilometres, cut journey times by 50% and reduce travel costs by approximately 40%.
“When completed, this road will provide safer and more reliable transport and reduce the pressure on the N6,” he added.