30-Year-Old Bridge On Gugura River In Upper East Region Collapses

The 30-year-old bridge that connects Navio and Tazika Bagtua to Paga in the Upper East Region collapsed seven months ago, and employees and residents still struggle every day to get to work and take care of their regular errands.

Residents who regularly use that section of the road must take lengthy, winding routes to reach their destinations in Navrongo and Paga.

As a result, the bridge collapse is having a detrimental impact on the local economy because it is now very difficult for merchants to start their businesses while employees have a tough time getting to work every day.

In order to provide relief to the road users, the inhabitants have thus issued a heartfelt plea to the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, to come to their aid and regard the restoration of the fallen steel bridge as an emergency.

On March 24, 2022, a heavy-duty DAF truck with the license plate AW 8894-12 carrying logs and travelling towards Paga from Tangasougo in neighbouring Burkina Faso collapsed the steel bridge over the Gugura River, connecting Navio and Tazika Bagtua to Paga, the capital of the Kassena Nankana District, and several other communities.

Since the bridge collapsed in the first quarter of this year, many employees—particularly nurses and teachers who commute on motorbikes and in their own cars—have had difficulties, which has had an impact on productivity.

Along with Navio, other settlements affected by the bridge collapse include Manyoro, Natugnia, Sirigu and its surroundings, as well as several border communities in Burkina Faso that utilize the bridge to access Paga.