President John Dramani Mahama will later today, Wednesday, September 3, 2025, pay a working visit to the Ofankor road project site, part of the ongoing expansion of the Accra–Nsawam highway.
The visit is aimed at assessing progress of work on the project, which is expected to ease traffic congestion and improve transport flow along the busy corridor.
Engineers on site are scheduled to brief the President on the current state of the works, challenges encountered, and projected timelines for completion.
The Ofankor road construction officially began in July 2022, under the previous Akufo-Addo government, with an initial completion target set for July 2024.
However, the completion target has been postponed several times due to funding challenges, sparking protests by drivers and residents over the heavy traffic congestion and environmental pollution caused by the ongoing construction.
Repeated Extensions to Completion
First Extension: As the July 2024 deadline approached, the contractor requested an additional 11 months, pushing the new expected completion to June or July 2025.
Second Revision: In early 2025, it became clear that even the updated mid-2025 date would not be met. As of April 7, 2025, with work resuming after a four-month halt due to financial constraints, engineers projected an additional 9-month extension beyond the original July 2024 deadline.
Latest Update: By May 2025, it was confirmed that the revised May 21, 2025, deadline had also been missed. The project was delayed by an additional 15 months due to unresolved compensation issues and utility relocation complexities.
Causes of Delay
Legal challenges: More than 80 court cases remained unresolved as of early 2025, blocking right-of-way access and complicating demolitions and compensations.
Compensation backlog: Of 328 structures on the route, only 76 owners were deemed eligible for compensation—and only 40 had actually received payments, which triggered both legal action and cashflow interruption.
Utility relocation: Agencies like the Electricity Company of Ghana and Ghana Water Limited have yet to complete the transfer of lines obstructing the construction path.
Financial constraints: Work resumed in April 2025 only after several months of stagnation due to unpaid compensation and no funds, pushing timelines further out.
