President John Dramani Mahama has called for the scoping and extension of the Winneba Junction-Swedru road all the way to connect with the Accra-Kumasi highway, a move he said would create valuable alternative routes for commuters and open up the interior of the Central Region.
The President made the call on Thursday during an inspection of progress of work on the Kasoa-Winneba road, where he noted that a two-kilometre stretch of the Winneba Junction-Swedru road was already being worked on by the contractor.
“I would encourage that we scope that road too and open up the road to Swedru and even beyond Swedru to come back and link up with the main Accra-Kumasi Road so that we create alternatives for commuters to use any road they feel comfortable with,” Mahama said.
The proposal would, if pursued, effectively create a loop connecting the coastal road network with the country’s main arterial highway, giving drivers travelling between Accra and the Central Region the option of a coastal route through Kasoa, Winneba and Mankesim or an interior route through Swedru and back to the Accra-Kumasi road.
The President said the broader vision behind the coastal road programme was to open up the Central Region to investment, tourism and industrial development, arguing that the current constriction in the road network had held back the region’s economic potential for too long.
He said the Tema to Dawa corridor was already attracting industries and investment, and that completing the road network westward would allow investors to begin opening factories along the corridor, creating jobs for local communities.
President Mahama said the entire coastal stretch from Kasoa through Winneba and Mankesim all the way to Cape Coast was being addressed through three separate contracts awarded to contractors, with the goal of giving commuters a smooth uninterrupted ride to the Central Regional capital.
He expressed confidence that the Kasoa-Winneba stretch would be ready for commissioning by the end of 2026 or early 2027, and said he was looking forward to returning for the official opening.
He also reiterated that the government was current on all payments to Big Push contractors and would continue to pay as certificates were submitted, ensuring projects moved at the fastest possible pace.
Richard Aniagyei, ISD
