Buipe and Yapei bridges closed to vehicular traffic till Dec 22

Movement of goods and people to and from the Northern and the Southern parts of Ghana have slowed down following the closure of the Buipe and Yapei bridges to vehicular traffic.

It is to make way for rehabilitation works which commenced, Wednesday, November 22 and expected to be completed in one month.

According to the Ghana Highway Authority (GHA) the closure of the two bridges for the rehabilitation works is due to their poor condition.

The two bridges constructed in the 1960s do not only linked the north to the south but also Ghana to its Sahelean neighbours such as Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger who also do not have sea ports to import and they do so through the Tema harbour.

The Buipe and Yapei bridges all located in the Central Gonja District in the Northern Region over the Black and White Volta respectively also links the Tamale -Kintampo stretch.

This is the second time in this year that the two bridges have been closed to vehicular traffic for maintenance and rehabilitation works respectively.. The first one was in the early part of the year.

This will not only affect the movement of goods and people but will also increase the traveling hours from Tamale to Accra and Kumasi from 12hours to 18hours and from six hours to 10hours respectively based on the alternative routes announced .

It would also affect trade and commerce between Ghana and its landlocked shy neighbours.

Alternative routes

The alternative routes announced by the GHA are the Western Corridor from Accra-Kumasi-Techiman-Wenchi-Bamboi-Bole-Wa, the Eastern Corridor from Accra-Tema-Hohoe-Jasikan-, Nkwanta-Oti Damanko -Bimbilla-Yendi, the Central Corridor from Accra-Kumasi-Mampong-Ejura-Atebubu-Yeji and crossing by ferry to Salaga or Kintamoo-Texhiman-Nkoranza-Ejura-Atebubu- Yeji also by ferry to Salaga while the Western /Central corridor from Takoradi-Takwa-Bogosu-Ayamfuri-Dunkwa- Obuasi-Kumasi-Techiman-Wenchi-Bamboi-Bole-Wa

Commuters/Drivers

Drivers and commuters have expressed concerns about the bad nature of the alternative routes announced which they said will affect their vehicles and increase the travelling hours.

They mentioned the Eastern Corridor route from Oti Damanka to Yendi-Bimbilla as the worst of all the alternative routes provided and called on the government to speed up with the constriction work on the Eastern Corridor road to facilitate smooth transportation of goods and people.

Visit

The Minister of Roads and Highways, Mr. Kwesi Amoako-Atta in the company of the Northern Regional Minister, Mr. Salifu Saeed and some officials of the GHA on Tuesday paid a visit to inspect the two bridges for the emergency rehabilitation works to commence.

Mr. Amoako-Atta appealed to the motoring public and commuters as well as other users of the road for their cooperation to enable the engineers to complete the work on schedule.

He said as a medium to long term measure ,the government was working around the clock to look for funding to construct new bridges to replace the two old ones which has outlived its lifespan saying that the two bridges were constructed in the 1960s and had to undergo regularly maintenance and rehabilitation works to ensure safety.