Residents in Bongo have called on the government to complete the uncompleted Balungu bridge which has stalled economic activities within Bongo-Balungu-Namoo in the Bongo District.
According to the residents, the situation is having a negative effect on their lives,
The Bongo-Balungu bridge connects residents in communities such as Lungo, Balungu, Sambolgo, and Namoo to the Bongo township, but the edges of the bridge were washed off rendering the 8km Bongo-Balungu-Namoo road inaccessible especially during the rainy season.
Drivers of articulated trucks who hitherto plied this route to neighbouring Burkina-Faso have now resorted to using the Navrongo-Paga road to Burkina Faso thus dwindling the revenue base of the Bongo Assembly.
In an attempt to bring relief to residents in this area, President Nana Akufo-Addo in July 2018 cut the sod for the construction of the bridge.
The contract was awarded to DAMIT Enterprise and was expected to be completed by end of 2019.
But the project has stalled for several months now thus making it difficult for residents to access the Bongo township for their daily activities.
Some residents complained about the negative impact of the non-completed bridge to Citi News.
“It’s about two years into the construction of this bridge, we are suffering especially when it rains we can’t take people to the Bongo hospital, we can’t go to the market and teachers can’t even go to school when it rains,” Thomas Adongo, a resident said.
“If a sick person is referred from the Zorko CHPS center to the Bongo hospital and gets to this bridge, the person gets stranded because you can’t cross to Bongo and this is worrying. We are appealing to government to complete the bridge for us.” another resident, Mary Akana stated.
Also, another resident, Agongo Ayambire, added that,
“The bridge on this road is worrying for drivers plying Namoo-Bongo and Yelwugo-Bongo. If you don’t have strong vehicle you cannot cross. Imagine carrying a pregnant woman in labour from Namoo to the Bongo hospital, only to get there and the water level increases such that, you cannot cross then the pregnant women could lose her life. Government should fix the bridge for us, that will propel development in this area”.
The Bongo District Chief Executive Peter Ayinbisa who was convinced that the contractor has been paid some monies for the work done could not fathom why the contractor has since not returned to the site.
He is therefore appealing to the Ministry of Roads and Highways to compel the contractor to return to the site immediately and fix the bridge.
“…And we have made several calls on the contractor, I have met the Minister of Roads and Jighways, Amoako Attah all in an attempt to see if the contractor can be made to come back to site but still the contractor hasn’t returned to site.”
“The Roads and Highways Ministry has indicated that, they were preparing to make payment to the contractor based on the certificates of work done but I am unable to tell why the contractor hasn’t returned to site. I am therefore appealing to the Ministry to compel the contractor to return to the site and fix the bridge for the people of the area.”