Krobo Youth Group Mounts Pressure, Ghana Highways Authority Announces Roadmap For Reconstruction of Oterkporlu Bridge
The Ghana Highway Authority (G.H.A.) in the Eastern region has announced, the infamous Oterkpolu Bridge is set to be reconstructed as part of 50 bridges to be constructed nationwide for which funding has already been secured by the government of Ghana.
Rite 90.1 FM has reported of parliamentary approval of a Czech Republic loan facility to assist the reconstruction of two bridges in the Yilo Krobo Municipality, Oterkporlu and Okwenya bridges.
In a meeting organized by a Krobo civil society organization, Kloma Gbi on Wednesday at the Yilo Krobo Municipal Assembly Hall, representative from the regional Highways Authority who is also the regional Engineer, Ing. Emmanuel Kwesi Rockson confirmed that reconstruction work on the bridge will be funded from the €47 million loan recently secured from Czech Republic.
According to him, “the Okwenya Bridge will also be reconstructed in this 50 bridges package. Design and drawings of the new bridges almost completed after field feasibility study. Procurement processes are at advanced stages.”
The new bridge Rite FM is learning will be a composite bridge; concrete sub-structure that will be in the water or the main support structure with the rest being steel.
Bridges of this magnitude and cost Ing. Emmanuel Kwesi said, are awarded as separate projects and not as part of road projects.
Explaining an outlook of the bridge, he said, “it will be far higher than the current one to prevent the near-flooding situation we see now. The flooding too is quite a new problem due to the presence of a Dam which was constructed a few years ago upstream for agricultural purposes.”
Report cited from Kloma Gbi facebook page says “the new bridge will be bigger (wider width) to allow two-way movement of vehicles- different from the current situation where only one vehicle can cross the bridge at a time.”
The report further said, “the bend that confronts users from Odumase side of the road will be improved to make that portion of the road almost like a straight course. Thus there will be a small diversion which will make the road higher at that new section. This will also help ‘level-up’ the hilly sections of the road that leads to the bridge from both sides; which is expected to make the road and bridge more convenient for users. The old bridge will thus be used as a by-pass whiles work on the new one commences and progresses.”
Current State of The Bridge
According to the G.H.A, field study, audit and assessment of the existing bridge by Bridge & Civil Works Experts as part of preparation for the construction of the new one did not reveal any serious defects and therefore there is no cause for alarm as far as the usage of the bridge is concerned.
However, the Municipal National Disaster Management Organization Director for Yilo, Mr. Jackson Bruku told Rite FM, an assessment conducted on the bridge by his regional outfit revealed that the life span of the bridge has expired.
Why Joshob Construction Company Limited Left The Bridge In The Previous Rehabilitation Work.
Factors that necessitate reconstruction and construction of a new bridge includes the volume of traffic and safety of the existing structure.
But the regional High Ways team said, “at the time, the traffic was bearable even with the one-way movement and it was also very safe. Portions of the road leading up to the bridge, from both sides was also left out to avoid ‘double-handling’, because of the impending reconstruction of the bridge and the need to improve upon the curve, there was no need to “waste'” money on that stretch which will soon not be of much use when the new bridge is constructed with the new improved course.”
Safety Measures (Odumase-Oterkpolu road)
The Ghana High ways Authority team together with the MCE were to assess the pot-holes and or gullies on the surface of the bridge and then the Assembly takes steps to address that in the interim since those were not structural defects.
Kloma Gbi recommended the construction of rails at the notorious and infamous Asitey curve for improved safety.
An Axle Load Weighing point has also been recommended by the Ghana Highway Authority after Road Safety Audits and the Implementation Schedule given to the Contractor. This, when implemented, will help check the volume of load carried by vehicles so as to prevent undue stress on the road to enable it achieve its life span.
The G.H.A and the Yilo Krobo Municipal Assembly say, considering potential bureaucracy associated with procurement system as well as other factors, the contractor and his team should be expected on site by end of 2019.
The G.H.A team was led by Ing. Emmanuel Kwesi Rockson- Reg. Engineer, (G.H.A) and Ing. Godwin Yome Anku- Reg. Geodetic Engineer, G.H.A
Hon. Ebenezer Tetteh Kupualor and Mr. P.K Asamoah, Municipal Chief Executive and Coordinating Director respectively were present for the Yilo Krobo Municipal Assembly.
Representing the drivers of the meeting, Kloma Gbi were Ing. Philip Tetteh Padi- Commissioner; Herman Ablade Adjase-Kodjo- Chief Clerk; Julius Nyerere Tettey (Nene Anner), Louis Mawutor Azumah and Mrs. Linda Adamtey, Lady Chalker.
The MCE called for closer collaboration from Kloma Gbi and other Youth Groups towards the development of the Kroboland.
Source: ritefmonline.org
