Commuters using the Tema-Accra Motorway could expect weeks of traffic as officials rush against the clock to repair the destroyed La Klapa River Bridge near the Accra Abattoir.
Officials from the Ghana Highway Authority (GHA) have created a one-kilometer detour on the Accra-bound section into the Tema-bound lane to enable for the removal of the bridge's damaged concrete slaps, which began the second week yesterday.
The scenario resulted in considerable traffic congestion that persisted all day yesterday, worsening during rush hour, and caused a commute that should have taken 20 to 30 minutes to take at least two hours.
Drivers had to seek alternate routes to avoid the jam on the freeway, which also affected the Tema Beach Road, the other Tema-Accra route.
Works
The Minister of Roads and Highways, Kwasi Amoako-Atta, examined the highway last week, according to the Daily Graphic, and said that restoration work will begin in August.
However, he stated that the La Klapa River Bridge, commonly known as the Abattoir Bridge, will be replaced as soon as possible since it would collapse if not repaired.
"The replacement will be a reinforced concrete slab, which we hope to begin on Friday and finish in three weeks." "We need to repair certain pieces of the deck slab since they have developed flaws." The operation would entail splitting them into portions and rebuilding them, according to Yakubu Koray, the GHA's Director of Bridges.
When the Daily Graphic visited the site yesterday, it noticed that construction had started in earnest, bringing with it the expected traffic because the work area had been blocked.
Given how congested the highway is, the one-kilometer diversion route established is insufficient, as the Daily Graphic reported traffic lasting for miles.
Areas of Responsibility
The scope of repair, according to Project Engineer Aaron Amponsah, included replacing the under materials to re-enforce the bridge.
He said that was finished a week ago, clearing the way for the removal of the top material, which included a metal plate that had been put on a section of the bridge seven years previously during a similar restoration.
"We started the primary job today, which entails removing the old concrete materials, as well as cutting out the damaged iron rods and replacing them with new ones, after which fresh concrete will be poured to build the bridge," Mr Amponsah explained.
The GHA, he added, had enlisted the expertise of the Police Service's Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) to help control traffic along the road, while personnel worked two shifts in a 36-hour period.
Mr Amponsah pointed out that, while the option of building a Bailey bridge within the median to better manage traffic congestion came up during the project management process, the storm drains along the stretch to host such bridges were too short to accommodate any such metal bridges, which typically measure 5.2 metres.
"Bailey bridges come in set sizes, and given the size of the bridges inside the median, building one would need breaking and extending the bridge to suit the size of the metal bridge," he stated.
blogpay
