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| An official on the ferry |
The Adomi bridge which is a 'middleman' between Accra,some parts of the Eastern,northern and the volta region was closed to enable renovation and servicing of the bridge. The 338 kilometres stretched bridge has been closed to both vehicular and pedestrian traffic because the bridge which links the northern,eastern and volta regions to the south allowed movement of all kinds of vehicles ranging from saloon cars, , urvans, pickups, long/heavy vehicles and buses of all sizes etc. and it is being estimated that over about 4000 cars of all sizes ply the bridge on a daily bases therefore,pressures from these automobiles as well as humans has deemed it necessary to renovate the bridge in order to prevent any unforeseen circumstances. Beneath the bridge is no other than the largest man made lake (artificial) in West Africa, the volta lake with its serene environs and its rich aquatic life and beautiful landscape. Whenever one finds it necessary to getaway from the hustle and bustle of the city, of course lodging in one of the hotels or guest houses along the volta lake wouldn't be a bad idea. Before the closure of the bridge, most food crops and goods were been transported to the south and the north respectively by means of the road thus; the Adomi bridge but due to the closure, the lake has become the major means of transportation In addition,the lake serves as a source of employment avenue for the indigens as they are mostly fisher folks. Also, since major staple crops in Ghana are grown in the north, they are being transported to the south after harvesting by pontoons or ferries via the lake and also crops grown in the south are also transported to the north via the lake as well. This explains how vital the bridge was till it's closure but hey! we need not fret because it's for a good cause.
Although news on the closure of the bridge brought about fear, worry and confusion on the part of the hawkers as they thought business will slow down and goods won't be purchased by travellers (travellers normally make stopovers at the Adomi bridge) drivers also had their fair share as they were unsure of the diversions or alternative routes the Roads and Transport Ministry proposed. But fortunately, it isn't as worse as they anticipated as a more convenient way has been introduced to convey humans, animals, goods and services and surprisingly vehicles too across the volta lake to ease the transportation problems - The Ferry! It is such a wonderful sight to behold when the ferry is transporting passengers And iit's so awesome seeing about 10 vehicles drive into a ferry and watch as it carries the vehicles as well as hawkers and animals across the lake at a snap of one's fingers.Simply put, the ferry is 'standing in' for the bridge till renovations are over. The ferries dock at a town called New-Akrade therefore, vehicles approaching from Accra drive to New Akrade and drive into the ferry with passengers still on board.
Unfortunately, there are only two ferries currently operating and the question is can this two stand up to the demands of the people? Two ferries cannot service a very busy business district where over 5000 people cross to and fro to attend to one duty call or the other absolutely not. A quick measure should be put in place to suffice the situation.
Aside the movement of commuters, goods and services, and the hustle and bustle,one can see families enjoying boat rides on the lake and just having a good time. In fact, New Akrade has become like a tourist attraction site as a lot of Ghanaians travel from their homes just to come see the ferry and to cross to the other side of the lake. Another thing that caught my attention was the proliferation of photographers who kept asking anybody whether they wanted a shot and an instant print of the pictures as it was so obvious the scenery was so tempting no one can resist taking shots near the lake. I was so fascinated that I forgot to find out more about the safety measures that have been put in place in case of an emergency.
Aside everything, my trip was very fun, successful and interesting. I even wish the two years time frame being predicted as the duration for the renovation can be extended a bit more so we can have and experience as many 'ferry rides' as possible. Wait a minute! Am even contemplating on calling my blog a travel blog. Hahahahaha.*wink*
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| Closed Adomi bridge |
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| Traveller's on board |
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| Ferry on the Volta Lake |
