Govt to replace bridges on White, Black Volta rivers

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New bridges are to be constructed to replace existing bridges on the White and Black Volta rivers at Yapei and Buipe respectively in the Central Gonja District in the Northern Region.

The Minister of Roads and Highways, Mr Kwesi Amoako-Atta, who announced this during an inspection tour of the Yapei Bridge, said the new bridges would each cost $25 million.

Besides the construction of the bridges, the minister said the government was also considering the construction of another bridge at Daboya in the North Gonja District at a similar cost to serve as an alternative route.

So far, feasibility studies on the projects have been completed awaiting Cabinet approval. The minister could not, however, tell the exact date work would begin.

The Yapei and Buipe bridges are both located on the Tamale-Kintampo highway that links the north to the southern part of the country. It also links Ghana to its Sahelian neighbours: Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.

Significance

Mr Amoako-Atta explained that the replacement had become necessary, since the continuous maintenance of the two bridges every two years had become expensive and also created inconvenience to the travelling public and slowed down economic activities.

According to the minister, both the Yapei and the Buipe bridges were constructed in the mid-1960s to last for 50 years.

He said they had since outlived their lifespan hence the need to replace them with new ones to ensure convenience, safety and the smooth transportation of goods and people.

Maintenance

Mr Amoako-Atta further stated that the Ghana Highway Authority (GHA) had been tasked to conduct checks on the various bridges across the country to ascertain their state and make appropriate recommendations.

He indicated that it was the duty and responsibility of the ministry to ensure that both vehicular and human movements on the roads were safe, hence the need for such proactive measures by the ministry to avoid any disaster.

Background

On Wednesday, May 3, 2017, the Yapei Bridge was closed to vehicular traffic to make way for an emergency maintenance work which would last for 30 days at a cost of GH¢420.000. The bridge, during the maintenance period, would be closed from 6p.m. to 6a.m. each day and opened at 6a.m. to 6p.m.

This development has affected trade and commerce between the north and the south of the country and Ghana’s landlocked neighbours, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, since these countries use the Tema port to import goods from abroad and transport them by road through the Yapei Bridge to their countries.

The Buipe Bridge was also closed in the early part of this year for maintenance works to be carried on it.

Source: Graphic.gh.com