Closure of Yapei, Buipe bridges should be in phases – MP to Ghana Highway Authority

The Ghana Highways Authority (GHA) has been asked not to close down the Yapei and Buipe bridges in the Northern region at the same time as planned.

The Member of Parliament for the Yapei-Kusawgu Constituency, John Abdulai Jinapor, who made the appeal, suggested that the closure should be done in phases. The MP acknowledged that there is an urgent need for the bridges to be repaired, but to do them simultaneously will inconvenience the people and create hardship.

The Ghana Highway Authority announced that the Yapei and Buipe bridges would be closed on Monday, November 20, 2017, to make way for repair works to start. But Mr. Abdulai Jinapor in a statement said “the simultaneous closure of the two bridges which serve as key transit routes between the southern and northern parts of the country will adversely affect the movement of goods and passengers during the period of the closure”.

He appealed, “consider closing the bridge in phases to mitigate the inconvenience that will arise from the option of closing both bridges at the same time”. Mr. Abdulai Jinapor also “urged the government to take steps towards providing alternative transportation arrangements to ease the burden on commuters during the period”.

The NDC legislator “regretted” the fact that the Authority, he claimed, did not engage the community or had any public education prior to the closure of the bridges.