Residents of communities along the Tumu-Banu road have appealed to the contractor working on the stretch to increase the size and height of some bridges to accommodate the volume of water during heavy rains.
The Tumu-Banu road is being constructed by Mawums Construction Limited under the Government’s Big Push for Infrastructure Development Programme.
While commending the contractor for what they described as quality work, the residents raised concerns about the capacity of some of the bridges to accommodate the volume of water that flows through the area, particularly during the peak of the rainy season in northern Burkina Faso.
Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), Mr Seidu Sumaila Butu, Assembly Member for the Banu Electoral Area, said the Kunchogu-Kawuragu bridge was too low and risked being submerged whenever it rained heavily.
He also alleged that gutters in the Kunchogu community had not been properly constructed to receive water flowing through the community.
He said an abandoned gutter in the community had also become Residents call for bigger bridges on Tumu-Banu highway to prevent flooding
By Mohammed Balu
a breeding ground for mosquitoes.
“Even though we recognise the work is not completed, we hope that the contractor will take time to bring changes to the concern identified,” he stated.
The Assembly Member for Kunchorkor also raised similar concerns, stressing the need to ensure that the bridges were adequately designed to withstand heavy water flows and protect the road from damage.
Mr Borsu Siafu, a resident of the Dimajang community, said the gutters constructed within the community were narrow and had reduced the width of the road.
He also expressed concern about the lack of designated parking spaces for vehicles in the communities and appealed to the contractor to address the situation.
Mr Siafu said the bridge between Tumu and Naveriewie, as well as the Kunchorkor bridge, should be carefully reviewed and, where necessary, expanded to accommodate unexpected volumes of water.
Mr Roger Forkor, a poultry farmer, described the road project as a welcome development and expressed appreciation to President John Dramani Mahama for the decision to tar the road, which he said had been in a poor state since independence.
Some women who spoke to the GNA also expressed satisfaction with the ongoing construction and called for additional infrastructure to benefit communities along the route.
Kapio Awuyigave Ali Maria I, Queen Mother of Banu, appealed for the road network to be extended to schools and clinics in the area.
She also urged the technical team working on the project to carefully review the bridges and make the necessary adjustments to ensure the durability of the road during heavy rains.
Mr Adongo William, Project Manager of Mawums Construction Limited, told the GNA that the concerns raised by the residents were being considered.
He said the company would take the necessary steps to address the issues, adding that the engineers would do their best to ensure that concerns about the bridges and drainage structures were appropriately addressed.
Mr Issah Mohammed Bataglia, Member of Parliament for Sissala East, said the concerns raised by the beneficiaries would be brought to the attention of the contractor.
He assured the constituents that their concerns would receive attention and urged them to support the contractor and the Government to successfully complete the project.
GNA
