N1 Footbridges Now Refuse Dumps

Residents along the popular N1 Highway in Accra have turned footbridges along the 14-kilometre asphalt road into dumping sites where they drop wastes from their homes. This unfortunate incident occurs mainly at night and dawn when the highway is less busy. The habit undeniably has caused great disaffection among users of the bridges forcing them in the process to cross the busy highway from unapproved points, an example being a gentleman who was recently knocked down by a speeding vehicle when he attempted to cross the road directly under the footbridge. Commissioned on 15th February, 2012 by the late President John Evans Atta Mills, the highway has sent many innocent citizens to their early grave with school children being the worst victims. The dangerous nature of the George Walker Bush Highway has attracted severe criticisms from residents who believe the Millennium Development Authority (MiDA) which supervised its construction should have provided more footbridges on the road. That subsequently caused MiDA to give the assurance of construction of additional footbridges along the highway. “When we opened the road, we realised that the crossing at Lapaz was so heavy and therefore, there will be the need for some temporal measures so we made a submission to government with respect to putting some steel bridges that we could use temporarily so that in future, when we are about to build the permanent interchange at Lapaz, we will then remove those steel bridges,” Transport and Agriculture Manager of MIDA, Dr. Bernard Koranteng Yorke, told Accra-based Citi FM in January, 2013. And even before additional footbridges are constructed on the highway for pedestrians, the few ones are being misused. The abuse is much severe at the Lapaz stretch of the highway where the footbridge cited between the popular Abrantie Spot and the Nyamekye Junction has not only become a dumping site for solid and liquid waste but also for selling of food to public. “Although I do appreciate that the environment around where the food vendor sells is not healthy, I have no option as I cannot afford the food sold at the restaurants around this area,” Albert Kofi Owusu, a second-hand fridge dealer under the footbridge told this reporter. His views was collaborated by a second-hand television dealer at the same location who said he has constantly been warning his co-workers not to eat from the vendors there. But a vendor, Hajia Albarka, blamed the authorities at MiDA for not properly tilling the area to prevent dumping of refuse by unscrupulous residents. According to her, the refuse was dumped at the location by drivers and passengers of salon cars who always threw them from their plush cars at the location; she also mentioned that unscrupulous passengers and pedestrians also dump refuse from their homes at the joint.       Source: Today