The Minister of Roads and Highways, Governs Kwame Agbodza, has explained that the decision to modify the Suame Interchange project is linked to the construction of a new Kumasi Outer Ring Road, following recent developments within the Greater Kumasi area.According to him, the original four-tier interchange design was not arbitrary and adequately addressed traffic needs based on conditions at the time it was conceived. However, with the introduction of the outer ring road, a more suitable and efficient traffic solution has become available.
Sod was cut in October 2022 for the construction of a four-tier interchange at the Suame Roundabout in Kumasi, where the N6 highway from Accra intersects with the N10 road to Tamale. The project was intended to enhance urban mobility in Kumasi and the wider Ashanti Region. It would have been the first four-tier interchange in the region and the second in the country, after the Pokuase Interchange in Greater Accra.
Addressing a press briefing in Accra on Monday, February 9, 2026, Mr Agbodza revealed that President John Mahama had approved the construction of the Kumasi Outer Ring Road, with works already underway under the government’s “Big Push” infrastructure programme.He explained that the outer ring road begins at Atia Junction near Boankra, passes through Juaben, Kasaam, Tano Odumasi and Ahodwo, before ending at Akom on the N10 highway.“This new road provides a more efficient connection between the N10 at Akom and the N6 at Boankra, significantly reducing travel time for vehicles moving between the northern and southern parts of the country,” the minister said. He added that the project would divert a substantial volume of long-distance traffic away from the Kumasi city centre.
Mr Agbodza was responding to concerns raised by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Ashanti Caucus, which accused the government of deliberately downgrading the Suame Interchange from a four-tier to a two-tier structure. He dismissed claims of selective funding, stressing that no funds allocated to the original interchange had been diverted.“Rather, over GH¢3 billion has been committed to the construction of the outer ring road network,” he said.
The minister further explained that financial constraints following Ghana’s debt default and engagement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) made it impossible to fully fund the original four-tier design. Although the project was placed under an Afreximbank facility, only part of the advance payment had been disbursed, with no subsequent payments received.
He noted that the main challenge with the original design was not its functionality but the high cost of land acquisition and expropriation. The project budget, he said, did not fully account for the relocation of utilities or compensation for affected land and properties.
While some utilities at the Suame Roundabout had been relocated, others at Krofrom and Abrepo remained unresolved. In addition, the construction of the north–south viaduct would have affected land belonging to the Garden City Mall, the Suame Police Station, and a three-storey commercial and residential building—costs that were not included in the original budget.
Mr Agbodza estimated that compensation and related costs could exceed 50 per cent of the total cost of constructing the four-tier interchange.
He disclosed that although the owners of Garden City Mall initially raised no objection to the use of their land, they later signalled their intention to sue after the 2024 elections and halted the contractor from using part of the land.
According to the minister, modifying the project would preserve existing buildings, protect businesses, and still deliver a high-quality concrete road linking Akom on the N10 to Boankra on the N6. He added that the poor stretch of road between Abusuakuruwa and Akom would also be fully rehabilitated.
Mr Agbodza rejected claims that scaling down the project would result in failure, explaining that the modification forms part of a broader traffic management strategy for Kumasi.“The only aspect of the original design being removed is the four-tier bridge, as the expropriation impact makes it impractical, especially with the outer ring road in place,” he said.
He concluded that the revised design, together with the additional road projects, would more effectively address traffic congestion at the Suame intersection and across the entire Greater Kumasi metropolis.