Dome Crossing still prone to flood despite fixed bridge

The Dome Crossing road has been open to vehicular and pedestrian use barely 3 months after its closure. The move was to allow for the reconstruction of the bridge which has for years constituted to the devastating floods in the area.

Following yesterday’s heavy downpour in most parts of Accra, GhanaWeb revisited the flood-prone area to confirm whether or not the new constructions have been able to withstand the repercussion of flooding in the area.

Upon the team’s visit on Monday, May 9, 2020, persons were seen clearing water from their structures while others gathered the remains of properties destroyed by the previous days' flood. This confirms that more works needed to be done to tackle the continuous floods at Dome and its environs.

In the past, the Dome Crossing road was always submerged during heavy rains as a result of poor drainage system causing drivers to find an alternative route with the onset of heavy rains. Following the reconstruction at the site, vehicles were able to move smoothly during Sunday's downpour.

In an earlier report by GhanaWeb in November 2019, residents confirmed that floods had swept away several of their properties amounting to hundreds of cedis. It was, therefore, necessary for the construction of a better drainage system to address the perennial flood in the community. Despite the new development on the bridge, residents recorded yet another flood on May, 10, 2020.

Shops and wooden structures located at both sides of the main gutter were flooded. The gushing water from the bridge managed to destroy the footbridge located few meters away from the Taxi rank.

Speaking to GhanaWeb, residents stressed the need for well-constructed gutter since the rains have eroded major parts of the road exposing them to danger.

"Previously, we weren't able to park our cars here due to the continuous flooding but now those at the other side are now facing the floods due to the diversion of the gutter at Taifa. There's a need to construct a bridge similar to the one located at Alajo here. ," says Ebenezer Mensah, a Taxi driver at Dome Crossing.

Isaac Akaatu, a shoemaker whose shop had also been flooded during Sunday's downpour lamented, "the gutter is too small, so the place gets flooded with the slightest downpour. They should rather enlarge the gutter for easy flow of water. The floods carried over hundred pieces of my shoes and the carpenters on this stretch were also affected. .”