News:
July 7, 2017
The Member of Parliament for the Domeabra/ Obom constituency in the Greater Accra region Sophia Karen Ackuaku, is demanding for the prompt opening of the Ashalaja Bridge in the area for easy traffic flow in order to enhance economic activities of residents.
Over a week-on after a Deputy Minister of Roads and Highways, Mr Kwabena Owusu Aduomi assured Parliament that the reconstructed bridge would be completed on June 30, 2017 but the bridge is yet to be open to traffic.The Deputy Minister told parliament that steel bridge over the Densu River to provide easy access to Ashalaja and surrounding communities in the Ga South Municipality was 99% complete and ready for opening.
This was in response to a question posed by the MP for the area, Sophia Karen Ackuaku on floor of parliament seeking to know from the Minister of Roads and Highways when the bridge would be completed for public use.
“Mr Speaker, I want to ask the Minister for Roads and Highways how soon the major bridge that links Amasaman to Ashalaja and Kasoa will be completed to facilitate and ease movement from Accra West to the Central Region and other parts of the country?, she asked.
The Minister in his answer said, the bridge in question is scheduled for substantial competition by June 30, 2017 and will thereafter be opened to both vehicular and pedestrian traffic.
“This bridge over the Densu River popularly called Ashalaja Bridge, is about 99% complete. The Contractor is currently on site, working on expansion joints of the deck of the bridge and the 33km Kasoa-Amasaman road,” he stated.
The Deputy Minister noted that, “outstanding works on the bridge including traffic safety measures such as road-line marking, installation of road signs and crash barriers,” are ongoing and when done, the bridge would be open.
The MP though satisfied with the answers provided was not happy about the slow pace of work which she said was hampering economic activities in the area.
It would help boost trade and industries as it serves as the shortest route linking communities. School-children will now find it easy to cross the river to school.
Businesses that are grounded to a halt would be revived and life brought back to the people. she said.
According to her, the bridge served as a major link rout of the Western Corridor of the country, as vehicles from the North Eastern part of Accra and Eastern Region going to Central Region could easily connect without using the Weija roads hence its importance.
The bridge is a 36m single span reinforced concrete structure over the Densu River that links communities such as Amasaman, AyikaiDonlo, Domeabra, Ashalaja, Obom and Kasoa amongst others.
It collapsed due to heavy duty truck that passes through to the Central Region and was put up temporally by personnel of the National Security Secretariat, before the major construction works started.
The construction of the bridge formed part of the Kasoa Interchange and the ancillary works project, the portion that covers the rehabilitation of the Kasoa-Amasaman road to bituminous surfacing.
By Christian Kpesese/ ghanamps.com