Another unfortunate incident has hit Mepe, a town already dealing with the aftermath of flooding brought on by the Volta River Authority’s (VRA) spillage.
A vital steel bridge that linked the Central Tongu capital town of Adidome with the North Tongu town of Juapong has collapsed at Saikope in the Mepe region.
A fully loaded trailer transporting salt is said to have attempted to cross the bridge before collapsing. Thankfully, there haven’t been any confirmed deaths linked to the incident.
Osborn Devine Fenu, the District Chief Executive, responded by releasing a public warning on his own Facebook page.
To safely reach Adidome and Juapong, he advises drivers to use a different route that passes through Dadome, another Mepe town.
The DCE has accused the truck of being overloaded, even though inquiries into the precise cause of the collapse have not yet begun. According to the report, the bridge collapsed as a result of a fully loaded trailer carrying salt that was probably heavier than the 25 tonnes maximum recommended load. Thankfully, reports indicate that the driver and his companion are safe.
Although the DCE’s claim may be true, it is important to remember that authorities had posted a warning sign alerting drivers to a “weak bridge ahead” of them well in advance of the bridge’s collapse.
It will be challenging to determine which of the two phenomena—a weak bridge or excessive tonnage—caused the bridge to collapse until investigations are finished.
