Okyereko bridge overtopped: About 150 people displaced, 70 houses submerged

7th Jun 2024 | Source: Graphic Online

Over 150 people have been displaced by floods in the Okyereko area of the Central Region, following the over topping of the Okyereko bridge located on the Ayensu River as a result of the construction of a new bridge on the N1 highway which connects Kasoa to Winneba.

The contractor working on the Kasoa-Winneba section of the N1 highway had diverted the road as a result of the expansion of the Okyereko bridge.

But following continuous rains in the area, the temporary bridge could not hold and caved in.

This has resulted in flooding in the area.

Aside the about 150 people displaced, about 70 houses have been affected by flood waters, the Central Regional Coordinator of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), Isaac Mensah has said.

The Gomoa East District Director of NADMO, Robert Hackman has said three houses have also collapsed but no casualty has been recorded.

“This morning, we came around 3 am hoping that the water would have gone down, but part of the bridge has collapsed totally, so we are appealing to motorists coming from Cape Coast to use the Winneba Junction route and appear at Akoti Junction. Motorists should not use the Potsin-Okyereko stretch,” Hackman added.

Those affected by the floods are currently taking refuge at a Church of Pentecost building in the area.

Traffic on the N1 highway between Kasoa and Winneba from Accra to Cape Coast has been diverted following an overflow of River Ayensu on the Okyereko bridge.

The Okyereko bridge over the River Ayensu in the Gomoa East District of the Central Region has been closed to traffic.

This was after a continuous rainfall that has caused the river levels to rise and overtop the bridge, causing flooding and submerging a number of houses and farmlands in the area.

The Ghana Highway Authority (GHA) in a press statement dated Thursday June 6, 2024 has advised motorists to use alternative routes while engineers work to address the situation.

"Motorists from Cape Coast to Accra are also advised to use the Winneba-Ojobi-Akoti Junction on the N1.

"We understand the inconvenience this has caused, and assure you that, our engineers and technical team will work diligently to address the situation as quickly as practicable”, it stated.