The Minister for Roads and Highways has reaffirmed government’s commitment to completing the La Beach Road project, while disclosing a shift away from externally financed road projects toward government-funded execution of key stalled infrastructure.
The disclosure was made by Governs Kwame Agbodza during a session before Parliament’s Economy Committee, where he outlined progress and challenges on major transport projects, including the long-delayed Accra-Tema coastal corridor.
He explained that government has directed a review of several stalled projects inherited from previous administrations, with a decision not to pursue certain commercial loan arrangements used to finance them.
According to him, the current administration under President John Dramani Mahama has largely avoided initiating new road projects through external commercial borrowing, with the exception of an ongoing IDA-supported feeder roads programme.
He noted that the La Beach Road project, originally linked to a financing arrangement involving China, will now be completed through government of Ghana funding.
Project Progress and Technical Overview
Providing details on the project status, Ing. James Oduro Amoo-Gottfried, Director, Department of Urban Roads, explained that the La Beach Road is a dual carriageway stretching from Black Star Square through Osu, La, Teshie, Nungua, and up to Community 3 in Tema.
The project is divided into two main sections. Lot one covers the stretch from Black Star Square to Nungua near the stream, while lot two continues from that point to Community 3 and includes an interchange component.
Ing. James Oduro Amoo-Gottfried, Director, told the Committee that as of December 2022, about 80 percent of the works had been completed. However, subsequent debt restructuring affected credit flows, slowing progress and disrupting continuity of construction works.
Despite the setbacks, partial rehabilitation works have been undertaken. The Ministry indicated that a contractor has been brought back to site to repair critical sections, including works under the interchange to improve road usability.
“…we have brought in a contractor to do, to repair the critical areas. As you may witness, we have done work under the interchange to make it more travel. There are sections which are not yet completed, but the contractor is still on site to be able to deliver that”.
Ing. James Oduro Amoo-Gottfried, Director, Department of Urban Roads
He also confirmed that additional problem sections, including parts around Teshie and Nungua, have been identified for intervention, while a cost-to-complete assessment has been submitted to the Ministry for funding approval.
Shift to Government Funding Model
The Minister indicated that efforts to secure additional external financing for the project have been unsuccessful despite multiple engagements with lenders.
“We’ve been to China twice, but we couldn’t get the lenders to come on board,” he stated, adding that government has now opted to complete the project using domestic budgetary resources.
He noted that the revised approach is intended to ensure continuity and avoid further delays associated with external financing negotiations. According to him, the project will now proceed as a government of Ghana funded initiative, with approval processes underway to secure resources for completion.
The Minister expressed optimism that contractors would return fully to site before the end of the year to complete outstanding sections once funding is approved.
Persistent Traffic and Public Pressure
The La Beach Road corridor remains one of Accra’s most critical transport routes, linking central Accra to Tema while serving densely populated coastal communities.
During the parliamentary engagement, a Member of Parliament urged the Ministry to accelerate work on the project, citing worsening traffic congestion, especially during peak morning hours.
The MP also highlighted upcoming community events and increased mobility demands, stressing the need for urgent intervention to ease movement along the corridor.
In response, the Minister acknowledged the concerns and described the traffic situation as severe, particularly between Tema and central Accra due to simultaneous works on both the motorway and the beach road corridor.
He indicated that the Ministry is aware of the pressure faced by commuters and has identified specific choke points, including areas near fuel stations where vehicles frequently park and obstruct traffic flow.
“I think he is making a very important point. Currently, moving from the east part of Accra into Accra itself… is a very terrible situation,” he said. He added that he personally experiences the congestion and assured lawmakers that the Ministry is actively working to address the bottlenecks.
Path Toward Completion
The La Beach Road remains one of the most important alternative routes to the Accra-Tema Motorway and plays a key role in easing traffic flow along Ghana’s busiest transport corridor.
Despite repeated delays, government officials insist the project is now on a clearer path to completion under a revised funding and implementation strategy.
With the cost-to-complete assessment nearing approval and contractors expected to remobilise, authorities say the focus is now on finishing remaining sections and improving traffic flow along key bottlenecks.
The Ministry maintains that once completed, the corridor will significantly improve connectivity between Accra and Tema and reduce pressure on the motorway system.
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