Government has announced a total closure of the Buipe and Yapei bridges in the Northern Region to allow for proper maintenance works to be carried out on them.
Mr Kwasi Amoako Atta, Minister of Roads and Highways, who announced this at Buipe after inspecting both bridges on Tuesday, said the total closure would take effect from Wednesday, November 22, to give the engineers ample time to do good work.
Mr Amoako Atta said an amount of GHc4 million had been allocated for the exercise, which would be completed within four weeks.
Both bridges earlier this year underwent emergency maintenance, but they are currently weak and have developed cracks with huge potholes and they shake even when a motorbike moves across.
Both bridges are important as they link the northern part of the country to the south as well as serve the country's landlocked neighbours, who cart their goods from the Tema Harbour.
Mr Amoako Atta described the current state of the bridges as scary saying government would not allow any disaster to strike hence the closure.
He announced that government had secured funds to construct two new bridges to replace the Buipe and Yapei Bridges as a long term solution to the current situation.
He said work to replace both bridges would commence by the first quarter of 2018.
Mr Amoako Atta appealed to motorists to bear with government and use the alternative routes to allow for proper maintenance works to be undertaken.
Meanwhile, a temporary closure of both bridges on Tuesday left many passengers stranded at both ends at Buipe and Yapei. They claimed they were not aware of the closure of the bridges.
<<Print>>