The 19.5-kilometre Tema Roundabout to Tetteh Quarshie Interchange project is currently about 50 per cent complete, but is slightly behind schedule. During a tour of road projects in the Greater Accra Region on August 19, 2026 the Roads and Highways Minister, Governs Kwame Agbodza, directed the contractor, Maripoma Enterprise Limited, to intensify construction by working day and night.
The Minister urged the contractor to take advantage of the Government’s 24-hour economy policy by undertaking disruptive construction activities at night, while reducing such activities during the day and providing dedicated lanes for motorists. He acknowledged the contractor’s progress, including the completion of the main bridge ahead of schedule without an incident involving the public.
Mr Agbodza nevertheless stressed the need for faster work, saying motorists could not be expected to endure disruptions indefinitely. The project engineer, Ing. Kwabena Bempong expressed confidence that the remaining works could be completed within the agreed timeline.
The project is a major component of efforts to rehabilitate and modernise the Accra-Tema transport corridor.
The Minister deserves commendation for demanding a faster pace of work on the Tema Roundabout–Tetteh Quarshie Interchange project. His instruction that the contractor should work around the clock, particularly on disruptive activities at night, is both practical and necessary.
The Chronicle holds the view that the Accra-Tema corridor is not an ordinary road. It is a critical artery connecting Ghana’s political and commercial capital, Accra, with Tema, the country’s industrial hub and home to its largest port. The 19.5-kilometre motorway was specifically developed to connect Accra with Tema, while the Government itself has identified the corridor as important for the movement of goods and services from the Tema Port.
The economic importance of this connection cannot be overstated. Ghana’s ports handle about 85 per cent of the country’s trade while Tema Port alone accounted for roughly 77 per cent of total seaborne cargo throughput in 2023. Any prolonged disruption along the road linking this strategic gateway to Accra and the wider national road network, therefore, has consequences far beyond motorists.
For commuters, the daily delays mean lost working hours, increased fuel consumption, frustration and unnecessary exposure to road-related risks. For businesses, delays in the movement of cargo can translate into higher logistics costs and reduced efficiency. A major economic corridor simply cannot remain under construction indefinitely.
We, therefore, welcome the Minister’s insistence that the contractor must accelerate the project while protecting motorists through dedicated lanes and better management of daytime activities. The reported completion of about half of the project gives reason for optimism, but progress must now translate into timely delivery.
More importantly, The Chronicle thinks this urgency should not end with the Accra-Tema corridor. Roads across the country currently undergoing rehabilitation must receive similar attention. Contractors must be held to agreed timelines, supervising agencies must enforce standards and government must ensure that funding does not become an excuse for prolonged delays.
Ghana needs roads that facilitate economic activity, not construction zones that impede it. The Accra-Tema corridor is too important to be allowed to stagnate. The Minister’s directive should, therefore, be followed through with firm monitoring until motorists and businesses can finally enjoy the completed road.
For more news, join The Chronicle Newspaper channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBSs55E50UqNPvSOm2z
