People and Places: Ankobra Bridge

The Ankobra Bridge is a 134 m (440 ft) concrete bridge across the River Ankobra in the Ellembelle District of the West Region.

 The Ankobra River, one of Ghana’s iconic rivers, originates northeast of Wiawso, a town in the Western Region, and spans approximately 190 kilometres southward to enter the Gulf of Guinea.  

The River Ankobra was named after the cobra because of its snaky course.

The Ankobra Bridge is located at Sanwoma, a coastal town popularly called Ankobra (after the name of the river), on the main Takoradi-Elubo road. It is just at the estuary where the Ankobra enters the sea. 

The idea to construct a concrete bridge to replace an existing old ferry was included in the Five-Year Development Plan of General I. K. Acheampong's Supreme Military Council. It was, however, during Dr Hilla Limann's administration (1979-81) that a sod was cut for the commencement of work. 

The bridge connects the Nzema East District with Ellembelle District and forms part of the Accra-Abidjan International Highway, officially known as the N1 (National Number One) Highway.