Deputy Minority Leader Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah has inquired about the urgent measures being taken by the Ministry of Roads and Highways to address the deteriorating condition of the Ankobra Bridge over the Ankobra River.
He says that the bridge is a vital transportation artery that not only connects the Nzema enclave to the Agona-Takoradi stretch but also serves as a crucial trade route between Ghana and La Côte d’Ivoire.
“Hence, it is of utmost importance to swiftly conduct a comprehensive assessment, maintenance and necessary repair work to guarantee the bridge’s structural integrity and safety,” he said in Parliament on Friday, December 15.
I inquired about the urgent measures being taken by the Ministry of Roads and Highways to address the deteriorating condition of the Ankobra Bridge.
The Ankobra Bridge is a vital transportation artery that does not only connects the Nzema enclave to the Agona-Takoradi stretch… pic.twitter.com/ykeSBPXJ2b
— Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah (@ArmahKofiBuah) December 15, 2023
The government had earlier siad its declaration of 2020 as a “Year of Roads” was on course after parliament approved a €65 million Euro loan for the construction and rehabilitation of three bridges.
They included the Ankobra Bridge Iture Bridge which connects Cape Coast and Elmina, and the Dikpe Bridge on the Black Volta between Lawra and Dikpe.
Earlier, a Field Officer at Hen Mpoano, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Augustine Adamtey, also called on the Roads Ministry to, as a matter of urgency, repair the bridge.
According to him, the pillars holding the bridge for the past five years appear to be gradually falling off.
Mr Adamtey said the bridge itself had become weak, developed potholes and shook when it was traversed.
The Field Officer at Hen Mpoano was speaking in an interview with the Ghanaian Times on the state of the bridge on the sidelines of a mangrove tour in the Western region last Wednesday.
“I cannot tell when the bridge was done but I have been here for the past 10 years and we have been using it. We have noticed that the pillars holding the bridge are gradually falling off,” Mr Adamtey stated.
“So it is very dangerous. Apart from that there are potholes on the bridge itself which has made it weak and can be felt when used,” Mr Adamtey added.
Admitting that they had not reported to authorities their observations, Mr Adamtey underscored that some persons believed to be working with the roads ministry had been there some time ago to ascertain the situation but had not returned to start any work in a long time.
“I have noticed it for about five years now. Before that the pillars were straight. It would be required that the government do something about it as a matter of urgency. It was just recently that they came around to assess the situation but we are yet to hear from them again,” he added.