LESS than nine months after repair works had been completed on some of the steel beams supporting the Adomi Bridge, the bridge has developed fresh cracks.
A section of the concrete that the steel beams are supporting has developed new cracks that could deteriorate if prompt attention is not paid to the current condition.
The cracks — mostly confined to the area that developed the deep cracks that were repaired in July, 2008 — have exposed some of the iron rods in the concrete.
A visit to the facility on Tuesday, April 21, 2009, revealed that although some attempts had been made to seal some of the cracks, further cracks kept occurring causing some of the concrete to peel off into the water beneath.
Sources close to the Ghana Road Fund Board told the Daily Graphic at Atimpoku that the cracks were first detected in early March, this year.
According to the sources, the continued use of the bridge by heavy trucks with loads exceeding the stipulated 30 tonnes had adversely compromised the safety and stability of the 52-year-old bridge.
The sources said the danger being posed by the overloaded trucks had persisted due to the extortion of money from drivers by some policemen and officials of the Ghana Highway Authority.
To escape the attention of those who are concerned about the safety of the 805-feet bridge, most drivers of the overloaded heavy trucks often park their trucks from the Juapong end of the bridge during the day and cross it either late in the evening or at dawn.
“We do not blame these recalcitrant drivers who flout the safety measures on the bridge, since those who are responsible to check their illegal act have turned a blind eye to the safety of the bridge,” the sources added.
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