Residents demand urgent expansion of Assin Homaho bridge amid flooding fears

Residents of Assin Homaho and environs have appealed for the urgent expansion and completion of a bridge on the Adonsu River in the community to reduce the incidence of flooding with the onset of the rains.

Speaking in an interview, the Abusuabaatan of Assin Homaho, Nana Amoayaw Boadu, described the perennial flooding in the community and surrounding communities as a major threat to residents, saying the situation endangered lives.

According to him, the bridge, which was constructed about five years ago, was poorly designed, saying the bridge was too small to accommodate the volume of floodwaters.

He indicated that recently, hundreds of pupils of Homaho D/A Basic School were left stranded after floodwaters made their route across the river too dangerous to use.

He said a bigger bridge on the Adonsu River would make communities including Appiahkrom, Haruna Krom, Domiabra and Mfantse, Homaho, Yaw Boamah and Abodweseso more accessible.

Nana Boadu explained that only a few months after the bridge was completed, a heavy downpour caused it to overflow, and despite repeated complaints to the District Assembly and the area’s Member of Parliament, no lasting intervention had been made.

Nana Boadu further lamented over what he described as neglect of the area despite the community’s economic contribution, noting that the town served as a major food-producing area, supplying plantain and other farm produce to larger towns and cities.

“During weekends, heavy-duty trucks come here to transport plantain and other produce, yet our roads and bridge situation remains poor.

We are pleading with the government to intervene before lives are lost,” he appealed.

Frustration was also mounting among the youth in the area, some of whom say previous concerns raised over the deteriorating condition of the crossing have been ignored.