Bridge over Tano River collapsing
Danger is looming on the dilapidated bridge over the Tano River at Tanom near Chiraa in the Sunyani West District as drivers continue to use the bridge, which is gradually collapsing.
Advertisement
The bridge, built in 1956, has become a death trap for the past six years.
There are two big openings on the bridge, a situation that compels drivers to carefully meander their way in between them.
On some occasions, vehicles have fallen into the ditches. It has to take inhabitants of the nearby village, Tanom, to come to the aid of the distressed drivers and passengers to pull the vehicles out.
Currently two poles have been placed in the ditches to draw the attention of drivers to them.
Some of the iron rods which were used to construct the bridge have also been exposed.
Six years
A taxi driver, Antwi Abednago, who said that he had been plying the 10-kilometre route from Chiraa to Adrobaa, noted that it had been very difficult crossing the bridge for about six years now.
He said communities beyond the bridge were normally cut off from the rest of the district during the rainy season thus preventing pupils to attend classes at Tanom.
Other Trending Stories
Bad road
Besides the bridge, the entire stretch of road which, according to members of the community, was awarded on contract for rehabilitation last year, has developed a lot of pot-holes rendering it almost unmotorable.
The Akwamuhene of Tanom, Nana Kwadwo Yeboah, told the Daily Graphic that the rehabilitation work had even worsened the condition of the road and wondered why the contractor was paid after executing such a shoddy work.
He stated that although they had appealed to the Sunyani West District Chief Executive (DCE), the Brong Ahafo Regional minister and authorities of the Feeder Roads Department, their concerns were yet to be addressed.
“It is unfortunate that people living at Tanom and its surrounding villages, who produce the bulk of foodstuff found in the Sunyani market and beyond, have been commuting on such a terrible road with a dilapidated bridge”.
Nana Yeboah, therefore, called for an immediate action by the authorities and for them not to wait for any calamity to occur before adopting a fire service approach to solve the problem.
“We have suffered for far too long and we demand an immediate solution before the rainy season sets in”, the chief stated.
