The temporary closure of the Buipe and Yapei bridges in the Central Gonja District of the Northern Region is affecting socioeconomic activities in the area and beyond.
Roads and Highways Minister, Kwasi Amoako Atta ordered the temporary measure for routine maintenance ahead of the Christmas.
[contextly_sidebar id=”Tc4WrfDhv5xbDBk9HhmVDnr9k0Du3UpS”]The Minister earlier in a Citi News interview posited that the two bridges were near collapse, hence the closure.
He estimated that the rehabilitation works would last for four weeks, and proposed that motorists should use the Eastern Corridor, Fufulso-Sawla and Central routes as alternatives.
Since the closure, motorists from the Sahel and Northern and Upper East Regions have been stranded at the bridges site due to the long hours they have to spend waiting to cross.
Passengers in long vehicles are compelled to get down and walk across the bridge to continue the journey in standby buses at the other end.
Commercial transport service providers including the VVIP, are compelled to use the Salaga-Makango Ferry through Yeji to connect to the southern part of the country.
Transporters of perishable farm produce to the south are in bad business because of the number of days they spend on the road.
They have therefore pleaded with government to fast track the rehabilitation works.
The two main bridges connect Ghana to neighboring countries including Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and Togo. The proper construction of the Daboya bridge along that of Buipe and Yapei, will begin in 2018.
According to the Minister Roads and Highways, each of the three new bridges is estimated at 25 million US dollars each.
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By: Abdul Karim Naatogmah/citifmonline.com/Ghana