The incident, which occurred last Thursday, has left residents and commuters deeply concerned about safety and accessibility.

The bridge is said to have been in a deteriorating condition for years. It finally collapsed when a truck, transporting bags of cocoa beans, attempted to cross, causing significant damage.

The Unit Committee Chairman for the Amooku electoral area, Patrick Gyan, told Adom News’ affiliate Green Gold FM that the collapse has created a hazardous gap, cutting off part of a crucial route used daily by thousands of drivers.

Nana Arman, the secretary to the Amooku chief, noted that traditional authorities had warned heavy-duty truck drivers not to use the bridge after assessing its deterioration on September 10, 2024.

Meanwhile, the Member of Parliament for Amenfi West, Eric Afful, has blamed the ruling government for the deplorable state of the bridge. Mr. Afful said a contract for repairs was awarded before the 2016 elections, and work had commenced. However, after the NDC lost the elections, the contract was put on hold with no explanation.

The Amooku Bridge is a vital link for commuters and transport between Mumuni and Amooku. It also serves as the main route connecting communities like Samaraboi, Aboi, No Good, and other towns across all three districts of Amenfi.

The Central Regional Minister, Justine Marigold Assan disclosed this on Adom FM midday news, Kasiebo is Tasty.

She said majority of the women are nursing mothers carrying their babies which makes the situation dangerous.

“It is a sad day for the people in the Central region. Some are also risking their lives in search of fingerlings in the water and it is a dangerous sight,” she lamented.

The fingerlings are believed to have been swept from a fish farm in the area whose owner, Samuel Opoku is devastated over his loss.

Gomoa bridge collapse: Farmer almost in tears as he counts losses [Listen]

The Minister appealed to the Police to intervene and get the residents off the road.

She said the Regional Coordinating Council is effectively collaborating with the district to ensure immediate distribution of relief items.

Madam Assan added that, efforts are underway to get temporary settlements for the victims who now live in some churches in the area.

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Constructed over 30 years ago, the bridge has never undergone any significant maintenance, resulting in numerous accidents and loss of life and property.

During a visit to the area, Adom News’ Obrempongba Owusu discovered that the bolts and nuts of the bridge, which is over three decades old, have weakened, making the structure unstable.

Additionally, the top surface of the bridge’s metal plates had become slippery, posing a serious threat to motorists and other users.

The paramount chief of Akroso-Asukwakwa, Nana Odami Gyamfi II, expressed his concern over the deteriorating condition of the bridge.

He highlighted the bridge’s slipperiness, which causes vehicles to flip over when brakes are applied. Nana Odami Gyamfi II lamented that between January and June of this year alone, over 10 people have lost their lives, and 25 others have sustained injuries in five separate accidents on the bridge.

Nana Odami Gyamfi II emphasised the urgent need for attention from the Ghana Highways Authority to ensure the safety of motorists who travel along the Krachi East Municipality route.

Mark Oduro, the assembly member for the area, and some drivers also voiced their concerns about the bridge’s hazardous nature.

They pointed out that the absence of road signs allows drivers to speed across the slippery steel bridge, particularly during rainfall, leading to series of accidents.

Mark Oduro, along with the drivers, appealed to the Ghana Highway Authority, the Oti Regional Minister, and other relevant stakeholders to promptly renovate the bridge.

The municipal NADMO director for Krachi East, Dasievor Jacob, acknowledged the bridge’s deteriorating condition and urged the Ghana Highway Authority to address the issue urgently, as commuters have consistently expressed their concerns about the need for repair works.

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Kwabena Opare was on his way home from the farm when the incident occurred.

He is survived by a wife and four children.

Wife of the victim said he failed to return home at the usual time and all efforts to locate him proved abortive since it was late at night.

She added that he was discovered the next morning floating in the river with the abandoned bridge collapsed.

Speaking to Adom News correspondent Isaac K. Normanyo, the Adokwaihene Daasebre Omono Asamoah Agyei II said the bridge had been in a frail state for years now.

He revealed residents began using the abandoned make-shift bridge after a road diversion due to construction works.

Omono Agyei II, therefore, appealed to the government to construct proper road from Dompoase to the community.

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It is believed the footbridge was built by people who lacked the necessary skills and miscalculated the amount of cement needed in the concrete to make it strong enough.

Videos of its collapse as officials cut a red ribbon during an inauguration ceremony went viral on social media.

The charity called DJCEP that backed the project now says the new footbridge will be built at the same site that will meet safety standards.

It tweeted pictures of workers demolishing the old structure:

It collapsed Wednesday morning when a heavy-duty DAF truck carrying logs was crossing it.

The truck with registration number AW 8894-12 was heading towards Paga from Tangasougo in neighbouring Burkina Faso.

All three occupants of the truck, including the driver, escaped unhurt.

Graphic Online reports that commuters who use that stretch of the road on a daily basis have been left stranded at both ends of the bridge as they could not get any other alternative routes immediately to get to Navrongo and Paga.

Many private and government workers, especially nurses and teachers who use the road to their various workplaces abandoned the idea of going to work after becoming stranded at both sides of the bridge.

The collapse of the bridge is a worry to farmers in the area as it would make it very difficult for them to cart farm produce to nearby market centres for sale.

Some residents have told Graphic Online that the bridge, constructed about 30 years ago had become weak.

They said the concrete piers had become weak over time as a result of the river overflowing its banks.

When contacted, the Chief Executive for Kassena Nankana West District, Mr Gerard Ataogye said plans were underway towards the provision of a temporary alternative route on that stretch of the road for commuters.

He added “luckily the road has been captured under feeder roads project and will soon be packaged and awarded which will also include the reconstruction of the steel bridge” and further assured the users that the assembly is doing everything possible to ease their transportation on the road after the collapse of the bridge.