5 times government promised to expand Accra-Tema Motorway

The state of the motorway can be described as criminal negligence of the highest order on the part of those responsible for its maintenance.

The economic importance of the motorway cannot be over emphasized as it is the main route for transporting goods to the Tema Harbour, and also passengers and goods to the Volta and Northern Regions from Accra, and countries east of Ghana.

Present and past governments have neglected the maintenance of the motorway.

NDC promised in 2009 but failed

In 2009, former Roads and Highways Minister under the late President John Evans Atta Mills promised expanding the motorway into a six-lane highway.

The government has promised since 2012, under the government of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), when the former Minister for Roads and Highways, Joe Gidisu revealed that the Tema motorway will see massive expansion under the John Mahama administration to ease traffic but nothing happened.

Gidisu said: "There will be a three-lane carriageway from the Tema roundabout up to the Shai hills."

That promise by Joe Gidisu under the NDC government failed.

In 2015, the former Finance Minister, Seth Terkper also promised Ghanaians that plans are ongoing to construct roads from the Tema Port to the motorway.

But the promise of expanding the road by the NDC has not come to fruition since 2012.

On the part of Mahama, he reiterated the government’s commitment to expanding the four-lane Tema motorway to six lanes.

"Plans are far advanced to construct four container terminals, an access road from the ports to the Motorway, and expand the Motorway from four lanes to six lanes," he announced.

Speaking about progress in the construction of road networks in the country at the inauguration of the Kwame Nkrumah interchange, Mahama said: "Routine maintenance works were carried out on 4,819KM of the trunk, 5300km of feeder, and 5200km of urban road networks while periodic maintenance activities comprising recovering, spot improvement and resealing works were carried out on 9.4km,252km and 2400metres of the trunk, feeder and urban roads respectively."

NPP gov't promised in 2017

Under the current government of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), appointees of the President seem to promise Ghanaians who ply the road of new hope.

The Ministry of Roads And Highways 2017 vowed to evict squatters dotted along the Accra-Tema motorway.

It is expected to complete the exercise before April 2018, to pave way for the expansion of the highway but squatters residing along the motorway are still there.

This was an earlier indication given by the sector minister, Kwasi Amoako-Atta, that the move will ensure a quick expansion of the motorway.

The expansion of the motorway to six lanes is a 30-month-long project.

Anthony Karbo promised in 2018

In 2018, the Deputy Minister for Roads and Transport, Anthony Karbo, also hinted that the government will expand the road to six lanes.

Karbo also hinted that government will review the current tolls being collected on the Tema motorway.

Speaking to Accra-Class FM, he said: "The idea is to expand the Accra-Tema motorway into a six-lane highway.

"This will [deal with] the pressure that is going to come from the expansion of the port, meaning that more vehicular traffic and of course government will have to take a political decision on what kind of tolls we will be charging on this road."

Later, Karbo attributed the government’s inability to fix the Tema motorway to a lack of funds.

He said the Road Fund, which was specifically set up to finance road projects across the country, is cash-strapped to finance these projects.

"As we speak, the loan is kicked in and releases to the road fund have been hijacked. Our hands are tied. We are in a very difficult situation. My Ministers have had sleepless nights and we all use the road on a daily basis," he added.

Amoako-Atta promises to fix the Accra-Tema motorway in 2019

On Friday, January 25, 2019, Amoako-Atta again gave an assurance that the four-lane Tema motorway will be expanded.

He said the NPP government was committed to surmounting the obstacles of massive encroachment of the reserve zone to rebuilding the roads from the Tema Port to the motorway.

He made this known during a tour of some project sites in Accra with a team including Anthony Karbo, one of his deputies, and some directors of agencies under the Ministry.

Amoako Atta cautioned property development agencies and individuals to desist from building on and close to road reserve zones and stated that the government would deal ruthlessly with institutions and individuals who flout the law.

He said: "This generation is scrambling for resources and using nature unsustainably as if there is no tomorrow. If Dr. Nkrumah and our forefathers behaved this way, we would have been left with nothing.

Amoako-Attah promised again in 2022 to expand the motorway into 10 lane

The Roads and Highways Minister, Kwasi Amoako-Attah, has revealed that plans are underway to develop the Tema motorway into a 10-lane highway.

The move, according to Amoako-Attah, demonstrates the government's commitment to investing in the country's road networks.

Amoako-Attah addressing Parliament on Friday, June 17, 2022, said "The future programme is to expand the existing motorway to a 10-lane.

"It will comprise of free-way, access control, three urban highways, and a number of footbridges for pedestrian crossing."