By Wilson Adekumola
The Federal Government has dislosed that the Eko Bridge will be reopened ahead of schedule after midnight on July 9.
The Director, Highways, Bridges and Designs in the Federal Ministry of Works, Mr. Omotayo Awosanya, made this known while leading top engineers from the federal team and Lagos State on inspection tour of the bridge, adding, this is to alleviate the suffering of road users.
The team was said to have had earlier a closed door meeting with Buildwell Plants and Equipment Industries Ltd, contractors on the project at their construction yard at Costain.
The Federal Government earlier set July 15 as the completion deadline for the bridge.
The joint team further inspected Apongbon end of the bridge – both up and beneath – and the Ijora-Olopa section.
Awosanya explained that the date review was in bid to relieve the agony commuters have been undergoing for almost a year since fire gutted the Apongbon section and later Ijora Olopa portion.
“A minute after midnight on Sunday, July 9, the bridges will be re-opened so that commuters will have smooth passage on Monday morning of July 10.”
He said when the bridge is re-opened, there would be intermittent short closures to continue repairs, adding that an existing contract for the rehabilitation of the Eko Bridge had reached 50 per cent completion.
He stated further that about 150 bearings had been replaced while additional 150 would be installed in subsequent rehabilitation works.
He said full-scale rehabilitation would continue on other sections of the Eko Bridge, as the contract would last three years.
“We have come here to urge the contractor to reduce five days out of the 15th of July; we are now going to open the bridge on the 10th.
“And a minute after 12.00 a.m on the 9th, the bridge will be opened for traffic on the 10th.
“This is as a result of close collaboration between Federal Government and Lagos State Government because we are mindful of the stress the closure of the bridge has caused to Lagosians and we have put pressure on the contractor to open the bridge on Monday for traffic.
“This will reduce the stress presently on other bridges connecting the Island and Victoria Island,” he said.
Awosanya, meanwhile, admonished that the Federal Government would evacuate all illegal squatters under all Lagos bridges causing damage to the infrastructure.
He said the joint efforts of the Federal and state governments would help to achieve the eviction of the squatters under Apongbon and Ijora sections, as well as other bridges.
The Permanent Secretary, Office of Infrastructure in Lagos State, Mr. Olufemi Daramola, who was pleased with the work, assured residents of better motoring experience on the axis after the re-opening.
He said with what was on ground, “9th of July is very realistic”, assuring that, arrangements were at high level towards protection of bridges.
Also, the Federal Controller of Works in Lagos State, Mrs. Olukorede Kesha, thanked the Lagos public for their patience while the repairs lasted.
Mrs. Kesha urged esidents to be vigilant and report illegalities and vandalism, adding that they should take ownership of infrastructure to prevent wastage of scarce resources that go into repairs.
During the inspection, Mrs. Kesha assured that demolition had been completed on all the five panels destroyed by vandals, adding that, casting of concrete was set to begin.
The bridge was razed by fire caused by human activities in 2022.
Apongbon section was affected by fire in March, 2022 and efforts for its December completion were stalled by a fire that affected the Ijora Olopa section of the bridge on Nov. 4.
The delivery date for Apongbon section was extended to May 2023 because some materials for its repairs were used to start emergency repair of Ijora Olopa section.
The Federal Government later set another deadline for July 15, which was reviewed downward to July 10.
The 4.1km bridge links the Lagos Island with the Mainland. It directly links to Apongbon on the Island side.
Eko Bridge has been undergoing phased rehabilitation but contract for its comprehensive maintenance was awarded in February 2022 and was expected to extend to 2026.
The Ijora Olopa section of bridge damaged by vandals was also shut on May 17, 2023 for safety of the public.
The deck on pile bridge caved in on May 16, leading to immediate assessment and closure.
A deck on pile is a bridge that does not have piers.
