Scores left stranded at Buipe following closure of main bridge

Europa

February 22, 2017 11:04 AM

The Ghana Highway Authority earlier announced that the Buipe Bridge will be closed from Friday, February 17 to Wednesday, March 8, 2017.

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Scores of travellers are reported stranded in Buipe in the Northern Region since Tuesday following the closure of the main bridge that connects to Kintampo in the Brong Ahafo Region.

The development is to enable emergency repair works to be carried out on the Bridge.

READ ALSO: Buipe Bridge to be closed down

A statement issued on Wednesday, February 15 by the Minister for Roads and Highways, Kwesi Amoako Atta said: “The Bridge will be closed from 2pm to 6am the following day and only vehicles weighing up to 20 tons will be allowed to cross the bridge between the hours of 6am to 2pm, each day during the period of the repair works.”

The closure of the bridge has since caused mayhem at the site as vehicles are stuck in all lanes, bumper-to-bumper, on a stretch that usually takes an hour to drive from one end to the other, Accra-based Joy FM reports.

Big buses are said to have parked alongside each other at the bridge in order to be the first through when the road is unblocked at 6 am on Wednesday.

Fears are that due to the lawlessness of the drivers of these big buses, passengers will be further delayed when the road is unblocked.

The situation has resulted in the creation of three lanes of traffic, which will hinder any car from moving forward once the road is unblocked.

A lecturer at the University of Cape Coast, Dagbe Amenumey, has told Accra-based Joy FM that the situation could worsen if authorities do not intervene.

Meanwhile, the Ghana Highway Authority has advised motorists travelling to and from the Northern region to use the following alternative routes:

North bound (travelling from the south towards Tamale)

Route: Kumasi – Techiman – Wenchi – Sawla – Fufulso Junction – Tamale

South bound (travelling from Tamale towards the south)

Route: Tamale – Fufulso Junction – Sawla – Wenchi – Techiman

Europa