The Greater Accra Resilient and Integrated Development (GARID) Project is stepping up construction activity across some of Accra’s flood-prone areas as pressure mounts on government to demonstrate progress and accountability following the devastating floods that hit the capital in June.
The latest intervention will see the westbound section of the Busia Highway between Kaneshie Market Station and First Light Junction temporarily closed from September 7 to the end of November 2026 to allow critical storm drainage works to be undertaken.
In a statement announcing the closure, GARID said the intervention forms part of efforts to strengthen the capital’s flood resilience, stating that the works are being undertaken “as part of efforts to address flooding and build flood-resilient infrastructure in the capital.”
The stepped-up works come as scrutiny of the World Bank-backed programme grows, following its failure to meet the original 2025 completion deadline. The project has since been extended to December 2027 following additional financing, giving the government and project managers more time to complete outstanding flood-control infrastructure.
That extension has, however, shifted attention towards the pace of implementation and whether the additional time and resources will translate into infrastructure capable of materially reducing Accra’s exposure to flooding.
The June 2026 floods have sharpened that scrutiny. Heavy rains submerged several parts of the capital, disrupting transport, damaging businesses and property and reviving longstanding concerns over the adequacy of drainage infrastructure and the management of waterways.
GARID was launched as a major intervention to improve flood-risk management in the Odaw River Basin, but implementation has been marked by delays and restructuring since the project began.
The original 2025 completion timeline was therefore not met, with the extension to 2027 effectively giving the project a second window to deliver on infrastructure that was initially expected to be completed earlier.
The latest works around Kaneshie and First Light are particularly significant because the corridor is one of the capital’s major transport and commercial routes. Its temporary closure is expected to affect motorists, commercial transport operators, traders and businesses in the area.
But beyond the immediate disruption, the works will provide another visible measure of whether GARID’s renewed implementation drive can produce tangible results.
The pressure on the project is no longer simply about completing individual drainage contracts. It is about demonstrating that years of public and development-partner investment are translating into a meaningful reduction in flood risk for communities that continue to experience flooding.
With the project now operating against a revised 2027 deadline, the government faces growing expectations to account for the delays that prevented the original schedule from being met and to show clear progress under the extended programme.
The September 7 road closure will therefore be more than a temporary inconvenience for commuters. It will be a visible test of whether the renewed momentum behind GARID can deliver the structural flood protection that Accra has been promised.
