Nearly a month after the closure of two major freeway bridges in the Northern Region triggered the worst transportation crisis in modern history, the Yapei and Buipe bridges were opened on Friday, December 22, 2017 to motorists.
The reopening ended an exhausting month for thousands of travellers and road users who had been left stranded on alternative routes through Eastern, Central and Western corridors of the country.
The closure had brought frustration, chaos and confusion, disrupted travel at the busy highway that joins the country’s south and north, and rippled trade activities beyond to its Sahelean neighbours.
The bridges carry more than 10,000 vehicles and a viable thoroughfare for traffic heading the south to north.
It was closed on Tuesday, 21 October, 2017 at either side for the third time this year alone, by Roads and Highways Minister Akwesi Amoako Attah, for rehabilition at a cost of GHc4m after undergoing similar purpose just in February and May at GHc449,000 and GHc420,000, respectively.
Deep cracks and a sag had been created in the middle of the 238m long bridges and the Minister described the conditions as “scary and frightening” before announcing the closure and warned motorists to stay off.
Millions of goods on its way to various destinations had been locked up and perished, and the suffering of travellers was unprecedented and enormous. Transport service providers had stopped operations and Ambulance, referral services to the regional capital grounded.
However, after weeks of unimaginable inconveniences for road users drifting in and out for the busy festive season, the bridges were opened in an extravagant and colourful fashion.
The Minister with national officers of the Highways Authority was airlifted from Accra to Tamale; they were joined by the Regional Minister and some members of the Security Council and were received together by the Central Gonja Distrcit Authorities to ‘inaugurate’ the bridges.
Minister Amoako Atta addressing journalists said government was compelled to close down the bridges to prevent loss of lives and properties.
He hailed the rehabilation works as “excellent”, adding his Ministry and the Highways Authority will monitor closely activities on the bridges by enforcing regulations.
“We are going to regulate axle load on this two bridges and for that matter, even starting from today that these two bridges have been reopened, we have opened two solid axle load centres – at Yapei and Buipe and one other at Fufulso, to ensure that we regulate axle loads on this two bridges,” he noted.
He repeatedly assured travellers and road users that measures have been set to prevent a future total closure of the bridges and asked for cooperation from drivers, especially.
“Like I have said, we don’t want to subject people to this level of inconvenience anymore, until two new bridges are built. I have given a firm instruction that under no circumstances should any overloaded vehicle be allowed to pass on any of these two bridge”.
In conclusion, the Minister said a firm instructions had already been issued to operators of the axle loads checkpoints to diligently ensure no overweighing vehicles are allowed passage. He pledged to take drastic actions against those who will flout the instructions.
Source: Ghana/Starrfmonline.com/103.5FM/Eliasu Tanko
