Accra, Oct, 27, GNA - Dr Nii Oakley Quaye-Kumah, the Deputy Minister of Roads and Highways, said on Wednesday that Ghana Bauxite/Excel Haulage Limited, a mining company, has provided funds for the rehabilitation of Akwawso Bridge as part of their social responsibility.

Dr Quaye-Kumah, who was answering three urgent questions in parliament, said the bridge is located between Sefwi Bekwai and Diaso and links the northern and southern parts of the Western Region. He said the Bridge Maintenance Unit of the Ghana Highway Authority is on site repairing the damaged parts and would make it a two-lane concrete bridge.

Dr Quaye-Kumah said work had been disrupted by floods and would continue after the floods had subsided.

He said the repair of the concrete bridge at Swedru had been completed and what was left is sealing of the approaches to the bridge. Dr Quaye-Kumah said the floods affected the road network at two locations in the town including the by-pass in the centre of the town on the WinnebaAkim Oda road.

He said approaches to the concrete bridge together with parts of the U-drains, retaining walls, water pipelines, telecommunication lines and buried electricity cables in the neighborhood of the bridge were all damaged.

Mr Ahmed Ibrahim, the member for Tain, also asked the Minister what measures were being taken to repair and replace the three bridges on the River Nyimpini in the Tain District which has made it impossible to enter or travel out from Tain.

Mr Kumah said the bridge on the Nsawkaw/Wenchi was to be replaced with a concrete one and the contract had been awarded to a contractor whiles studies were being carried out to replace Nsawkwa/Seikwa and Seikwa/Namasa bridges.