Residents of Mepe, a town already struggling with the aftermath of flooding caused by the Akosombo and Kpong dams spillage, are now faced with another unfortunate event.
A steel bridge located at Saikope in the Mepe area, which is essential for connecting the North Tongu town of Juapong to the Central Tongu capital town of Adidome, has collapsed.
Reports indicate that the collapse occurred when a fully loaded trailer carrying salt attempted to cross the bridge.
Thankfully, there have been no reported fatalities resulting from the incident.
In response, the District Chief Executive, Osborn Devine Fenu, has issued a public advisory via his personal Facebook Page. He has urged motorists to take an alternate route through another Mepe town, Dadome, to access Adidome and Juapong safely.
Although investigations are yet to commence into the actual cause of the collapse, the DCE has stated that the load of the truck may be the cause.
The DCE posted on Facebook, “The report have it that a fully loaded trailer carrying salt, likely surpassing the recommended maximum load of 25 tonnes, traversed the bridge, resulting in its collapse. Fortunately, the driver and the mate are reported to be safe.”
Prior to the bridge collapse, authorities had stationed a warning sign, signaling road users of a “weak bridge ahead”. There is also a sign stating that the maximum load limit of the bridge is 25 tons.
Until investigations conclude, it will be difficult to say which of the two phenomena has collapsed the bridge – weak bridge, excess tonnage, or both.
