Sogakope Bridge In Danger

Urgent attention needed before disaster strikes. The lives of travelers and commuters as well as pedestrians who have to cross the Sogakope bridge on a daily basis for various purposes, are in danger, as the bridge is currently going through a scary wear and tear process, a situation that portends danger for the users of the bridge, the New Independent can reveal. A visit to the Sogakope bridge area by the New Independent last Saturday, following several pleas and complaints, revealed a fast depreciating surface and the wearing off of the bitumen joining the ends of the bridge to that of the bridge. The visit also revealed a detachment of the slabs that join the beginning of the bridge from the same direction and the road, thus creating multiple and a stretch of potholes that make it dangerous for vehicles to use that part of the bridge. As a result, commuters have no option than to veer off from the right lane into the left lane to ostensibly avoid plunging their vehicles into the potholes due to the risk they pose to motorists. The New Independent witnessed a near tragic incident where a car traveling from the Sogakope end of the bridge and that had swerved the pothole, nearly collided with an on-coming one from the Sogakope end, but for the timely decision of the later to stop to avoid the accident. As if that is not enough, the deteriorating and the gradual collapse of the bridge is affecting other parts of the stretch of the bridge as there are visible signs of loose metal joints that are posing danger to the continued use of the bridge by motorists. Another scary development is that, while the bridge continues to deteriorate at a fast rate with the Ghana Highway Authority (GHA) looking on unconcerned, The New Independent saw a fast eroding earth under the bridge that has the potential of weakening the foundations and the pillars on which the bridge stands from the Sogakope directions of bridge. Speaking to residents and commuters on the state of the bridge they lambasted the GHA over their inaction and urged the Ministry of Roads and Highway Authority to as a matter of urgency, move in swift to save the bridge from imminent collapse. Aku Anaglate, a trader, who plies her trade around the bridge, told The New Independent that, the traders have personally informed both the District and Regional authorities about the state of the bridge, but it is unfortunate that, they have not yea responded positively to their pleas. Philomena Dziedzorm Dafianmokpor, on her part said, �we have made several appeals to our MP, but we are yet to see any action. Collins Akapko, a driver, described the state of the bridge as very dangerous and called on the authorities to move in swiftly to attend to it before the unfortunate happens.