Accra–Tema Motorway
Accra to Tema by road
About 30 km from central Accra to Tema, Ghana's main port — 30 minutes off-peak on the motorway, well over an hour at rush hour.
- Distance
- 31 km
- By car
- 30 minutes – 1½ hours
- Main road
- Accra–Tema Motorway
Driving from Accra to Tema
The quickest way is the Accra–Tema Motorway, built in the 1960s as Ghana's first motorway. Join it at the Tetteh Quarshie Interchange and it runs about 19 km east to Tema.
The alternatives are the Spintex Road, which is lined with businesses and often congested, and the coastal road through Labadi, Teshie and Nungua, which is slower but useful when the motorway is jammed.
Tema is a planned city laid out in numbered communities around the harbour, so it helps to know which community you're going to before you set off.
By bus or trotro
Trotros for Tema run all day from Accra's Tema station in the city centre, from Kwame Nkrumah Circle and from many stops along the way.
Within Tema, shared taxis and trotros link the communities, the harbour and Ashaiman.
New to trotros? Read how to ride a trotro. Fares change often, so check at the station before you travel. For live directions — by car, bus, motorbike, bicycle or on foot — open Tema on the Lincoln Navigation map. It shows road hazards other drivers have reported and the weather along the way.
Tips for the trip
- Avoid the motorway between about 6 and 9 a.m. into Accra and 4 and 8 p.m. out of it.
- Check the live map before you leave — an accident on the motorway can make the coastal road the faster choice.
- Labadi Beach is on the coastal route if you want a stop on the way.