Let’s save the Ankobra Bridge!

IN our Friday, February 10, 2012 edition our main front page story was under the banner headline: “Danger …Ankobra Bridge now death trap. That news item indeed revealed a worrisome picture that pointed to the obvious fact that the Ankobra bridge in the Ellembele District of the Western Region that serves as the main route from Ghana to neighbouring countries, such as La Cote d’Ivoire, Liberia Guinea, et al, is now a death trap for its users.

ACCORDING to our report, the bridge has developed deep cracks on both the macadam on which vehicles ply and the concrete structure holding it up, which situation we reported portends danger to users. This frightening and precarious state of the Ankobra bridge was known after our reporter had visited the place. In fact from that report we understand the state of the bridge is obviously making it practically difficult for it to serve its other primary purpose—serving as the main conduit between the Nzema East Municipality and the Ellembele District.

AND when our reporter took a closer observation at the parts of the bridge it was revealed that the pillars standing in the water and supporting it look very weak and were are losing their concrete with some of the iron rods in some of them exposed. That is the state of the Ankobra bridge.

IN fact we on Today newspaper fear that if immediate repairs are not carried on the bridge the worst may happen. We do not want to believe that the Ministry of Transport, the Ghana Highway Authority and other state intuitions mandated to see that such state facilities are in good shape and do not pose risks to the public have not noticed or better still have not had their attention drawn to this death-trap nature of the Ankobra bridge.

WE at Today are not surprised at all that the Ankobra bridge is being left to collapse. This is because we as a nation have had a very poor maintenance culture, and our leaders have compounded matters by turning a blind eye and ear anytime some of these things are reported to them! The powers-that-be rather wait for disaster to strike before they are seen marshalling all the resources at Ghana’s disposal to address it.

IT is against this background that we at Today are calling on the ministry of transport and institutions responsible for the maintenance of state bridges to immediately send contractors to work on the Ankobra bridge. For us on Today, there is no time to waste lest we risk a national disaster befalling this nation!

STRANGELY, though the state generates money from the collection of daily tolls on both ends of the bridge from drivers who ply the bridge, there seems to be no immediate and future plans to stop the rot and collapse of this strategically located bridge. Our information is that the bridge, which has been in service for a long time, saw major re-construction 30 years ago. This is quite pathetic and very serious!

THAT was not all! When our reporter travelled around the paper discovered that three other major bridges in the region are in the same shape like the Ankobra bridge. The three bridges as we reported in our story are the Abura bridge in Ahanta West District, and the Azuleluon and Amansure bridges, which are in the Ellembele District. And these bridges interestingly link Ghana to La Cote d’Ivoire and beyond.

WE hope the Ministry of Transport and the Ghana Highway Authority will treat this matter seriously and quickly get contractors to work on the bridge. Let’s save the Ankobra bridge before calamity strikes!!!