WN/R: Collapse bridge on River Boin renders travellers stranded

Passengers who use the Enchi-Elubo road are stranded as the steel bridge spanning across River Boin in the Aowin Municipality of the Western North Region has collapsed.

Drivers using that stretch of the road now must alight passengers at the bank of the river, so they walk on the new uncompleted bridge that is being constructed to the other side and board another vehicle to continue to their destinations.

Communities such as Boinso, Asemkrom, Jema, and Elubo, among others have currently been cut off due to the collapsed bridge, which cannot be fixed immediately.

Mr Samuel Adu Gyamfi, Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Aowin, who confirmed the incident to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Enchi, said the 71-kilometre Enchi-Elubo road had been awarded to a contractor and work was ongoing.

He said as part of the contract a new bridge is being built to replace the old one and lots of work has so far been done, adding that “Since the new bridge is almost done, we are appealing to the government to step in so the contractor can complete it.”

“Although there is no alternative route, no vehicle should cross the bridge because we don't know what will happen. People can use the uncompleted bridge. I have informed Mr Joojo Rocky Obeng, the Western North Regional Minister, and we would be visiting the site soon with technocrats to assess the cause and the extent of damage,” said Mr Adu Gyamfi.

The MCE assured residents of Aowin that the government would complete the bridge soon to put smiles on the faces of drivers and pedestrians plying that stretch of the road.

GNA