The government is set to begin a major drainage upgrade in the Kaneshie enclave of Accra on Sept. 7, seeking to improve flood resilience while managing disruptions to one of the capital’s major traffic corridors.
The works, being undertaken under the Greater Accra Resilient and Integrated Development Project (GARID), will involve construction of a 1.5-kilometre, 10-metre-wide double-cell underground stormwater drain along the Dr. Busia Highway from Pamprum Junction to Firstlight Junction.
GARID Project Coordinator Dr. Kwadwo Ohene Sarfo said the new drain will replace two existing 1.2-metre-diameter pipes serving the area, with the project expected to improve the capacity of the drainage system.
The project will be implemented in phases, with temporary road closures and diversions expected to affect commuters, transport operators and businesses along the corridor.
Traffic disruption to last into 2027
The first traffic-management phase begins on Sept. 7, 2026, with the closure of the westbound carriageway of the Dr. Busia Highway from Pamprum Junction. That phase is expected to run through the end of November.
Motorists travelling from the Korle Bu-Motorsway Road, Graphic Road, Obetsebi Lamptey Circle and Kwame Nkrumah Circle toward Pamprum and Firstlight will be diverted through alternative routes, including Awodome Cemetery Road, New Times Corporation to Awodome Roundabout and the Oblogo-Mataheko route.
Pamprum Junction is expected to reopen in the first week of December, although the westbound section from Kaneshie Station to Firstlight will remain closed until August 2027 to allow drainage construction to continue.
A further traffic-management phase is scheduled for September to October 2027, when the road linking Fairslide Intersection to the Cocoa Clinic Roundabout will be closed to facilitate works around the Fairslide section.
Businesses urged to plan ahead
The government is encouraging businesses and road users operating around the construction zone to plan movements in advance and use designated alternative routes.
Dr. Sarfo said road signage would be installed to guide motorists, while the Motor Traffic and Transport Department and local assemblies would support traffic management throughout the construction period.
The project will also establish dedicated toll-free lines for public enquiries, complaints and traffic information, although Sarfo said access through Telecel Ghana was still being activated.
The disruption until completion will have an economic cost on the densely populated commercial areas, where road closures can affect the movement of workers, customers and goods.
Authorities said continued public communication would be used to help residents and businesses adjust to the phased closures as construction progresses.
The GARID project is aimed at strengthening drainage and flood-management infrastructure in Greater Accra, with the Kaneshie works representing another major intervention in one of the Accra’s heavily trafficked urban corridors.
