THERE IS looming danger to motorists, commuters and pedestrians who use the bridge built over the Birim River linking the Ashanti and Eastern regions at Oda as it could collapse any time soon if steps are not taken to rehabilitate it.
There are obvious fears among the residents that if urgent steps are not taken to repair the bridge, it may lead to loss of lives and property, particularly, to those who ply it at night.
Over 50 years since the structure was constructed, it has not witnessed any significant repair works though one side has been closed to traffic due to the gradual breakdown.
Checks by the Daily Heritage reveal that its condition has so deteriorated that it is an imminent threat to life and property as users, traverse its length daily across the river.
According to local residents, the Ghana Highway Authority�s only remedy they have provided is a two concrete pillar erected on each end to restrict heavy duty trucks from using the bridge.
However, a tour of the bridge by the paper indicates that articulated and timber truck drivers have defied the measure and continue to squeeze their vehicles in between the pillars.
Worryingly, some of the metal railings have broken down, exposing motorists to forthcoming danger, while the rest keep rusting away.
Pedestrians who use it have no protection as they have to, either compete with on-coming vehicles for space, or walk on the section that has been closed down to traffic. Overgrown weeds have taken over the entry points of the bridge.
The paper observed that timber trucks carrying logs also got stuck on the bridge, blocking traffic to other users sometimes for days.
Speaking to the Daily Heritage in an interview, a concerned resident, Salifu Samba, lamented that �it is scary using the bridge.�
According to him, since its construction about 50 years ago, the bridge has seen no major rehabilitation works.
He recounted that the authorities earlier had brought contractors to fix the bridge but, in his opinion, �the job done was shoddy.�
According to Mr. Samba, instead of rehabilitating the collapsing bridge, the engineers only welded pillars to support the parts that were weakening.
He observed that it was an exercise in futility because anytime a heavy duty truck passes on the bridge; it shakes the foundations of the bridge.
He blamed sawmill firms in the area for contributing to the deplorable nature of the bridge.
"Timber trucks which supply logs to saw mills have been warned to stop using the bridge, but they won't listen," he claimed.
<<Print>>