FG to reopen Eko, Apongbon bridges 9 July however repairs to proceed

The federal authorities says it would re-open each the Eko and Apongbon Bridges to highway customers forward of schedule by midnight of 9 July.

In response to it, that is to alleviate the struggling of highway customers.

The Director, Highways, Bridges and Designs within the Federal Ministry of Works, Omotayo Awosanya, gave the reassurance whereas main prime engineers from the federal group and Lagos State on an inspection tour of the bridges.

The group earlier had a closed door assembly with Buildwell Crops and Tools Industries Ltd, contractors on the venture at their building yard in Costain.

The Information Company of Nigeria (NAN) experiences that the federal authorities had earlier set 15 July completion deadline for the bridges.

NAN additional experiences that the joint group inspected Apongbon Bridge each up and beneath, and Ijora-Olopa part of the Eko Bridge.

Mr Awosanya mentioned the date evaluation was borne out of the necessity to relieve stress commuters have undergone for nearly a yr since hearth gutted Apongbon part and later Ijora Olopa portion.

“At precisely midnight on Sunday, July 9, the bridges shall be re-opened in order that commuters could have clean passage on Monday morning of July 10.”

He mentioned that when the bridges are re-opened, there shall be intermittent quick closures to proceed repairs.

He mentioned an present contract for rehabilitation of your complete Eko Bridge had reached 50 per cent completion.

The director added {that a} whole of 150 bearings had been changed with further 150 to be put in in subsequent rehabilitation works.

He mentioned full scale rehabilitation would proceed on different sections of the Eko Bridge, because the contract is supposed to final three years.

“We now have come right here to induce the contractor to cut back 5 days out of the fifteenth of July, we at the moment are going to open the bridge on the ninth at 12.00 midnight.

“And a minute after 12.00 a.m on the ninth, the bridge shall be opened for visitors on the tenth.

“That is on account of shut collaboration between federal authorities and Lagos State Authorities as a result of we’re aware of the stress the closure of this bridge has precipitated to Lagosians and now we have put stress on the contractor to open the bridge on Monday for visitors.

“This can scale back the stress presently on different bridges connecting the island and Victoria Island,” he mentioned.

He warned that the federal authorities would evacuate all unlawful squatters below all Lagos Bridges inflicting harm to the infrastructure.

He famous that the collaboration of the federal and state governments would assist to realize the eviction of the squatters below the Apongbon, Ijora bridges, in addition to different bridges.

The Everlasting Secretary Workplace of Infrastructure in Lagos State, Olufemi Daramola, expressed satisfaction with the extent of labor, assuring residents of higher motoring expertise on the axis after re-opening of each bridges.

Mr Daramola mentioned with what’s on floor, “ninth of July could be very real looking”, assuring that, preparations had been at excessive stage in the direction of safety of all bridges.

On her half, the Federal Controller of Works in Lagos State, Olukorede Kesha, appreciated the Lagos public for his or her endurance whereas the repairs of each bridges lasted.

Kesha appealed to residents to be vigilant and report illegalities and vandalism, including that, they need to take possession of all infrastructure to stop wastage of scarce sources that go into repairs.

NAN experiences that the joint group from the Federal and Lagos State governments additionally inspected the Ijora Olopa part of Marine Bridge scheduled for completion in September 2023.

In the course of the inspection, Kesha assured that demolition had been accomplished on all of the 5 panels destroyed by vandals, including that, casting of concrete was set to start.

NAN experiences that each Apongbon and Eko Bridges had been razed by hearth attributable to human actions in 2022.

Apongbon Bridge was affected by hearth in March 2022 and efforts for its December completion had been stalled by one other hearth that affected the Ijora Olopa part of Eko Bridge on 4 November 2022.

The supply date for Apongbon Bridge was prolonged to Could 2023 as a result of some supplies for its repairs had been used to begin emergency restore of Ijora Olopa part.

The federal authorities later set one other deadline for 15 July which was reviewed downward to 9 July.

The 4.1km Eko Bridge hyperlinks the Lagos Island with Mainland. It straight hyperlinks to Apongbon on the Island aspect.

Eko Bridge has been present process phased rehabilitation however contract for its complete upkeep was awarded in February 2022 and anticipated to increase to 2026.

Alternatively, the Ijora Olopa part of Marine Bridge broken by vandals was shut on 17 Could for security of the general public.

The deck on pile bridge caved in on 16 Could resulting in fast evaluation and closure.

A deck on pile is a bridge that doesn’t have piers.

(NAN)