Ghana is set to become a major beneficiary of the ambitious Abidjan-Lagos Corridor Highway project, with plans for a proposed 2.7-kilometre mountain tunnel through the Akuapem range forming part of the country’s section of the massive regional road project.
The tunnel, which is expected to run between the Ga East area of the Greater Accra Region and the Akuapem area of the Eastern Region, is intended to provide a direct route through the mountainous terrain while helping the new highway avoid some of the difficult gradients associated with the existing road network.
The proposed tunnel has been identified as one of the major engineering features of Ghana’s section of the 1,028-kilometre Abidjan-Lagos Corridor Highway, a six-lane dual-carriageway being developed under an ECOWAS regional initiative.
The Ghana Highway Authority (GHA) has previously confirmed that the project includes a 2.7km tunnel and other ancillary infrastructure. The Ghana News Agency has also reported that Ghana’s approximately 576km section includes the proposed tunnel from Ga East to the Berekusu area in the Eastern Region.
A NEW ROUTE AROUND ACCRA
Unlike the existing N1 route, which takes motorists through heavily congested areas including Kasoa, Weija, Mallam, Accra and Tema, the proposed Abidjan-Lagos highway will largely follow a new, greenfield alignment.
The route has been designed to bypass Accra on the eastern side, with earlier project documentation indicating that the highway would pass approximately 15 kilometres east of Winneba before crossing the Akuapem range and continuing towards Miotso and the Volta Region.
The Ghana News Agency previously reported that the selected alignment would start from the Elubo border, bypass Accra, cross the Akuapem range and continue to the Akanu Joint Border Post in the Ketu North Municipality. A mountain tunnel was proposed as part of the alignment through the Akuapem range.
The design concept means that motorists travelling between the western, central, Greater Accra and Volta corridors would have an alternative high-capacity highway rather than relying entirely on the existing N1.
The project is consequently expected to introduce a new transport spine capable of separating long-distance regional traffic from some of the urban traffic that currently contributes to congestion on existing routes.
THE 2.7KM MOUNTAIN TUNNEL
One of the most striking features of the proposed highway is the tunnel through the Akuapem range.
The tunnel is expected to allow the expressway to pass through the mountainous terrain rather than forcing the highway to negotiate the steep slopes of the range.
The proposed facility has also been described by Ghanaian authorities as a major engineering component of the project and a potential first for Ghana in terms of a long mountain road tunnel.
The tunnel concept is particularly significant because the Abidjan-Lagos highway is intended to operate as a high-standard regional expressway, requiring a route that allows for smoother and more efficient movement of vehicles over long distances.
The project documents and official statements, however, indicate that the tunnel remains part of the proposed design. Detailed engineering and related preparatory work have been ongoing, meaning the final technical specifications and implementation arrangements remain subject to the project’s approval and financing processes.
HOW THE GHANA ROUTE WILL RUN
The Ghanaian portion of the corridor will stretch from the Elubo border with Côte d’Ivoire in the Western Region to the Akanu border area in the Volta Region.
The Ghana section has traditionally been described as approximately 576 kilometres, divided into two main lots.
Lot One covers the Elubo–Apimanim section, approximately 110 kilometres.
Lot Two covers approximately 466 kilometres from Apimanim through the Central and Greater Accra areas to Akanu.
Previous project documentation confirms the 466km Lot Two alignment as running through the Apimanim-Cape Coast-Accra-Sogakope-Akanu corridor.
VOLTA REGION
On the eastern side, the route is expected to connect communities around:
Akanu/Aflao border area
Denu
Akatsi
Dabala
Sogakope/Kasseh
Sege
Dawhenya
Miotso/Tema area
The highway will ultimately connect Ghana’s road network to the wider Abidjan-Lagos corridor through the border with Togo.
GREATER ACCRA AND EASTERN CORRIDOR
From the Accra side, the new highway is expected to move through the eastern outskirts of the capital towards:
Adenta
Ga East
the proposed tunnel section
Berekusu/Akuapem area
Aburi/Akuapem South
The tunnel will provide the critical passage through the Akuapem range before the highway continues towards the eastern side of the Greater Accra Region.
CENTRAL AND WESTERN CORRIDORS
Towards the western and central parts of the country, the alignment is expected to connect areas around:
Winneba
Apam
Mankessim
Saltpond
Cape Coast
Yamoransa
Sekondi-Takoradi
Agona
Esiama/Daboase
Apimanim
Elubo
The exact treatment of particular communities and junctions will ultimately depend on the final engineering design and approved alignment.
WHY KASOA AND WEIJA ARE BEING BYPASSED
A major difference between the proposed highway and the road currently used by thousands of motorists is the decision to establish a new alignment rather than simply upgrade the existing N1.
The existing route from Winneba through Kasoa, Weija, Mallam, Accra and Tema carries enormous volumes of urban and intercity traffic.
The new corridor is designed as a largely new route, with controlled-access infrastructure and interchanges at locations where it intersects existing roads.
Officials have previously indicated that the new highway is intended to provide uninterrupted movement, improve transport efficiency and facilitate trade along the Abidjan-Lagos corridor.
For long-distance traffic, the implication is that motorists would eventually have an alternative route that avoids some of the most heavily congested sections of the existing coastal road network.
A REGIONAL HIGHWAY, NOT JUST A GHANA ROAD
The project extends far beyond Ghana.
The Abidjan-Lagos Corridor Highway is a 1,028-kilometre regional infrastructure project connecting five West African countries — Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin and Nigeria.
It links major economic centres including Abidjan, Accra, Lomé, Cotonou and Lagos.
According to ECOWAS, the project is being developed as a single regional highway, with the objective of improving the movement of people and goods, reducing transport costs, strengthening trade and supporting industrial and economic development along the corridor.
The African Development Bank and ECOWAS announced in May 2026 that the project had advanced to the investment stage following the completion of economic and technical studies, with work beginning on securing financing for implementation.
POTENTIAL ECONOMIC IMPACT
The proposed highway is expected to have implications far beyond transportation.
Communities along the route could benefit from improved access to markets, industrial facilities, logistics centres, tourism destinations and other economic activities.
The corridor is also intended to strengthen connections between some of West Africa’s most important ports and commercial centres.
For Ghana, the new road could improve connections between the country’s western border, mining and agricultural communities, Central Region, Greater Accra and the Volta Region.
ECOWAS says the broader corridor programme is designed to support industrialisation, tourism, production and regional value chains while improving the movement of goods and people.
LAND ACQUISITION AND COMPENSATION
Despite the potential benefits, the project has also generated concerns among landowners whose properties fall within the proposed right-of-way.
In July 2026, the Ghana News Agency reported that a coalition of landowners affected by the Lot One section in the Western Region was demanding compensation for affected farmers, landowners and property developers.
The affected group said valuation and verification exercises had been undertaken and appealed for the compensation process to be expedited.
The issue highlights one of the major challenges that must be addressed before large-scale construction can proceed.
The government and implementing agencies will have to secure the required right-of-way while addressing compensation, resettlement and environmental concerns.
PROJECT STILL AT PREPARATORY STAGE
Although excitement is growing around the proposed tunnel and the new highway alignment, the project should not be confused with a road that is already under full construction.
The Ghana Highway Authority’s project reports have indicated that detailed engineering design and related preparatory activities have been ongoing for the Ghana lots.
ECOWAS also stated in 2026 that the corridor had moved towards the investment stage, with financing discussions and mobilisation of resources forming part of the next phase.
Consequently, details such as the final construction timetable, contractors, financing structure and final engineering specifications will depend on the completion of the necessary processes.
A NEW ERA FOR GHANA’S HIGHWAY NETWORK?
If implemented as designed, the Abidjan-Lagos Corridor Highway will significantly alter the pattern of long-distance road transportation in Ghana.
The combination of a new six-lane expressway, controlled-access interchanges, new bridges and the proposed 2.7km Akuapem tunnel represents one of the country’s most ambitious road infrastructure concepts.
Most importantly, the project forms part of a larger West African transportation network rather than being an isolated Ghanaian road.
From Elubo to Akanu, Ghana’s section will connect the country’s western and eastern borders while linking directly into Côte d’Ivoire, Togo, Benin and Nigeria.
For Ghana, the completion of the corridor would therefore mean more than a new road.
It would create a new regional transport artery designed to facilitate the movement of people, goods, investment and economic activity across West Africa.
