Provide us with a footbridge - Dome residents tell contractor

Residents of Dome, a suburb of Accra are fuming with rage following the failure of the contractor working on the Dome Crossing bridge to make provision for a temporary footbridge for commuters thereby creating unbearable and avoidable vehicular traffic on the stretch.

The residents, most of whom appreciate the efforts of the government to fix the age-old dilapidated bridge which often leads to flooding in that part of the city say the temporary discomfort associated with the ongoing construction could have been mitigated with the provision of a makeshift footbridge for individuals attempting to go into the Dome market and the several businesses scattered in the neighbourhood.

The ongoing construction by means the main road connecting Dome-Kwabenya to St. Johns Grammer School and its environs has been temporarily blocked to road users.

When GhanaWeb visited the site on Thursday morning, the resident, most of whom were visibly angry said they have been made to go through several ordeals in other to cross over to the other side of the road.

Agitated residents couldn't fathom why the constructor ( Sadalco Limited ) failed to conduct a study to ascertain the need for a temporary footbridge. As a short-term measure, some drivers have provided wood as a temporary bridge over the water that flows through the drains to ensure that residents are not left stranded.

This ‘amateur bridge’ provided by some drivers also means the lives of residents have been endangered as one could easily trip and fall into the running water.

Some drivers and road users at Dome Crossing told GhanaWeb why there are not happy about the construction.

"They should have created another route for cars and ensure that a footbridge is made available. People who are gathered here do not know where to pass. Several others got injured yesterday as a result of the situation," said a driver at the taxi rank.

“They should speed up with construction to allow free flow on the stretch. The construction has created some inconvenience for us,” said another driver.

"The construction is necessary; however, it has created inconvenience for us. They should have made plans for a footbridge, there is no route that links both sides. Drivers had to make provision for woods to assist people to crossover".