Mahama Promises Ho-Aflao Highway Sections Open Within Six Months

President Mahama Outlines Accelerated Timeline for Ho-Aflao Highway Commissioning

President John Dramani Mahama has declared that completed segments of the comprehensive Ho-Aflao Highway reconstruction project will be officially commissioned within the next six months. Speaking to chiefs and residents at Ave-Dakpa in the Volta Region on Friday, July 17, the President provided an optimistic timeline for the infrastructure overhaul, noting that substantial parts of the crucial transport corridor would be fully open to the motoring public by early to mid-2027.

The announcement was made during a comprehensive working tour of the Volta Region, an itinerary that also featured the official commissioning of the Akatsi North District Police Headquarters. The Ho-Aflao Highway, universally recognised as a vital artery for domestic trade and sub-regional integration across West Africa, has been positioned as a major focal point of the current administration's infrastructure development agenda.

For decades, the stretch has served as a critical economic lifeline connecting the regional capital, Ho, to the bustling border town of Aflao. However, years of structural deterioration had severely hampered the movement of goods and people, prompting loud calls for urgent national intervention. The current administration's response represents one of the most significant investments in the region's transport network in recent history.

The "Big Push" Infrastructure Strategy

Reaffirming his government's unwavering commitment to transforming the national road network, President Mahama highlighted the road sector as a primary beneficiary of the flagship "Big Push" programme. This ambitious capital investment initiative was designed to bridge Ghana's infrastructure deficit through strategic, large-scale projects.

The President took the opportunity to recall his extensive travels through the region during the intense 2024 election campaign. He recounted the deplorable state of the Ho-Aflao Highway at the time, noting that the severe structural defects and punishing travel times heavily influenced his campaign manifesto.

"I remember promising the people that if elected President, the Ho-Aflao road would be my number one priority, and today I am pleased with the progress of work on the project," President Mahama stated, drawing applause from the gathered crowd.

To ensure rapid execution and avoid the notorious delays that often plague massive public works in Ghana, the government adopted a decentralised construction strategy. Rather than awarding the entire extensive stretch to a single construction firm--a practice that has historically led to bottlenecks and prolonged disruptions--the project was carefully divided into five distinct sections. Each segment was subsequently assigned to a different, vetted contractor.

According to the Presidency, this fragmented approach has allowed for simultaneous construction work across the entire corridor. It has significantly improved overall efficiency, fostered healthy competition among the contractors, and enabled stricter, more granular monitoring by engineers from the Ghana Highway Authority. Instead of waiting for one phase to conclude before another begins, multiple construction crews are currently active along the route.

While the overall completion date for the entirety of the highway is officially set for December 2027, the strategic division of labour is already yielding early, tangible results. President Mahama revealed that one specific section is currently operating at an impressive 75 percent completion rate. Other segments, while at earlier stages, are hovering comfortably between 30 and 35 percent completion, keeping the project well within its established timelines.

World Bank Support and Rural Connectivity

Beyond the high-profile major trunk roads, the government is deliberately turning its attention to the hinterlands, recognising that true economic transformation must begin at the agrarian base. President Mahama used the Ave-Dakpa platform to announce a proposed US$500 million Rural Roads Programme, a massive financial injection funded through a partnership with the World Bank.

This comprehensive proposal is expected to be submitted to Parliament for rigorous debate and approval in the coming week. Government officials are optimistic about its swift passage, given the universal political consensus on the need for improved rural infrastructure.

This new funding mechanism is strategically designed to complement the broader "Big Push" initiative. While the central government programme focuses on massive, capital-intensive infrastructure projects like the Eastern Corridor Road, the Ho-Atimpoku Highway, and the highly anticipated Dambai Bridge, the World Bank facility will strictly target neglected feeder roads across the country's agricultural belts.

The primary economic rationale is straightforward: to seamlessly connect remote farming communities to bustling urban market centres. By drastically reducing transit times and lowering transportation costs, the government aims to minimise post-harvest losses--a persistent challenge that routinely wipes out a significant percentage of national agricultural output. Enhanced rural access is also expected to stimulate local economic activity, improve access to healthcare and education, and stem the tide of rural-urban migration.

Demonstrating the immediate local impact of this upcoming programme, the President announced that the Logakope Junction--Agormor--Kove Road, situated within the Akatsi North District, has already been officially earmarked for extensive rehabilitation under the first phase of the World Bank facility.

Assurances for future infrastructure projects

Addressing communities whose local roads are yet to see major state interventions, President Mahama offered firm assurances of continuous governmental focus on equitable infrastructure development. He acknowledged the widespread frustration over poor road networks but urged citizens to trust the systematic rollout of the national development plan.

To guarantee sustained progress, the administration has outlined several key policy directives:

• Ensuring continuous and ring-fenced annual budgetary allocations specifically dedicated to road sector development.
• Prioritising the rehabilitation of critical economic corridors that directly impact national gross domestic product.
• Deepening strategic, long-term partnerships with international development financiers to secure concessionary funding.
• Implementing stricter value-for-money audits on all awarded road contracts to prevent cost overruns.

He urged residents across the country to remain patient, noting that the government is working methodically to address the inherited infrastructure deficit. "If your road has not been captured this year, it could be included next year or in 2028. We are determined to improve road connectivity in every part of Ghana," he affirmed confidently.

The President concluded his comprehensive remarks by commending the various contractors, site engineers, and technical personnel currently deployed on the Ho-Aflao Highway. He praised them for the exceptional quality and rapid pace of their work, urging them to maintain the current momentum. The ultimate goal, he reiterated, is to ensure the project meets its ambitious timelines and delivers immediate economic relief to the people of the Volta Region and the wider Ghanaian populace.