FG Orders Full Closure Of Eko Bridge Carriageway For Emergency Repairs

May 07, (THEWILL) — The Federal Government has ordered the closure of an entire carriageway of the Eko Bridge from midnight on Sunday to pave the way for extensive emergency repair works to restore the structural integrity of the critical Lagos infrastructure.

The Minister of Works, David Umahi, announced the development on Wednesday during the official handover of the Carter Bridge rehabilitation project to China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation⁠ in Lagos.

Umahi said the decision became necessary to safeguard lives and prevent further deterioration of the damaged section of the bridge, stressing that the government would not compromise public safety.

“By the midnight this coming Sunday, that full carriageway must be closed. The other carriageway will be working”, the minister stated.

He directed the Federal Ministry of Works officials in Lagos to immediately collaborate with the Lagos State Government to intensify public awareness campaigns and develop alternative traffic arrangements to minimise disruption for commuters.

“We will not allow people to endanger their lives. We are a responsible administration, and it is a problem not caused by us but a challenge before us,” Umahi said.

The minister disclosed that the repair strategy would involve lifting an entire span of the affected bridge section to expose the pier and pier cap for comprehensive structural intervention.

According to him, engineers would undertake additional piling around the pier cap, construct a new pier cap, strengthen weakened components, and replace damaged piles underneath the bridge.

He explained that before the full-scale reconstruction begins, Buildwell Construction Company and a team of divers had been commissioned to conduct a detailed underwater and structural investigation to determine the full extent of the damage and incorporate findings into the final engineering design.

Umahi directed that the investigative phase should be concluded within 10 days to accelerate rehabilitation efforts on the bridge, which serves as one of Lagos’ busiest transport corridors.

The minister apologised to Lagos residents over the anticipated inconvenience, noting that the Tinubu administration inherited long-standing structural problems on the bridge.

“When we came on board, some sections of Eko Bridge were totally burned down because people were staying under the bridge selling chemicals and all sorts of wares, and they put fire, and it was burnt down”, he said.

He further revealed that although Buildwell had previously been contracted for repairs before the current administration assumed office, inadequate funding stalled the project until President Bola Ahmed Tinubu intervened to revive and prioritise the rehabilitation programme.

Umahi also assured Nigerians that the Federal Government was taking proactive measures to address concerns surrounding the Third Mainland Bridge, dismissing fears that the iconic bridge could be demolished.

According to him, an independent external expert has been invited to review six separate investigations already conducted on the bridge in order to determine the best reinforcement strategy for deteriorating piers and damaged pier caps.

“He is going to design how we are going to strengthen the piers that are deteriorated, piers that have been removed from the pier caps, and then we will come up with a cost on how to repair the Third Mainland Bridge”, Umahi explained.

The minister urged Nigerians to support and appreciate ongoing infrastructure renewal projects being executed under the Tinubu administration, describing them as critical investments to improve transportation safety and boost economic activities across the country.

Felix Ifijeh, THEWILL

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