It is estimated to cost GH¢499,000.

Minister/cost

The Minister of Roads and Highways, Mr Kwasi Amoako Atta, visited the bridge site last Friday with some senior officials from the ministry and said the maintenance works on the bridge had become necessary since the bridge had outlived its lifespan and had become very weak.

He stated that the bridge was originally constructed to serve for 50 years but was in its 54th year.

Mr Amoako Atta added that both the Buipe and Yapei bridge on the White Volta had become weak and needed replacement.

He said since the construction of the two bridges in the early 60s, no major maintenance works had been done on them.

Mr Amoako Atta stated that the ministry would ensure that the repair works were carried out diligently so that the works would be completed on time to ease the inconveniences associated with the maintenance works to motorists.

Cost/Contract

He explained that the use of the Bridge Maintenance Unit was to reduce the cost of the work and gave an assurance that the unit would be resourced to work on other bridges across the country.

The Project Manager of the Bridge Maintenance Unit, Mr Aminu Abubakar, said the maintenance works would include the cutting of the edges of the joints by 300 millimetres on both sides of the bridge and applying concrete additives? to take care of the bond between the fresh and the old concretes.

He added that the unit would also provide angle bars which would serve as a protection for the expansion joints.

Mr Abubakar explained that all the artisans, engineers and labourers who would be working on the bridge were from the Bridge Maintenance Unit of the Ghana Highways Authority.

The Buipe bridge maintenance project manager, Mr Aminu Abubakar (in cap), explaining a point to the Minister of Roads and Highways, Mr Kwasi Amoako Atta (bent, 2nd right). Pictures: ZADOK K. GYESI

Traffic

He said the bridge would be closed from 2 p.m. to 6 a.m. and only vehicles weighing up to 20 tons would be allowed to cross the bridge between the hours of 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day during the period of the repair works.

He also advised motorists travelling to and from the Northern Region to use the Sawla-Fulfulso road.

Mr Abubakar also appealed to motorists to adhere to directional and safety signs that would be made available at appropriate locations on the bridge during the maintenance works.

 Some officials from the Ministry of Roads and Highways, including the sector Minister, Mr Kwasi Amoako Atta, inspecting some parts of the Buipe bridge