The federal government has announced a full closure of the
Ijora bridge in Lagos for “critical repair works”.
During an inspection of the bridge on Monday, Olukorede
Kesha, federal controller of works, said the route will be closed to traffic on
April 27.
Kesha said the bridge, which connects Ijora Causeway to
Apapa, needs comprehensive repairs, with defective bearings beneath the deck
due for replacements.
“This bridge has been awarded for some time now in different
phases. We are now at the final phase which involves lifting the entire bridge
deck to change the faulty bearings beneath,” she said.
“A lot of the bearings are defective, and approximately 50
of them will be replaced across three sections.”
She added that the Ijora bridge is a major route into Apapa,
where Nigeria’s busiest sea ports are housed.
Keisha noted that the closure would cause some disruptions
but said it has become imperative for the safety of commuters.
She assured that the ministry has carefully worked on
diversion routes and traffic management.
“To manage expected gridlock, motorists approaching from
Ijora would be redirected through Seven Up Roundabout to reconnect to Apapa.
Heavy-duty vehicles would be diverted via Costain through Iganmu to access
Apapa,” she added.
Keisha also appealed for patience and cooperation from road
users.
She said the ministry has received complaints about intense
vibrations on the bridge while assuring that the bridge would not collapse.
“It won’t collapse, but it definitely needs help. If you
drive on the bridge now, you will feel vibrations. That is because the
bearings, the spring-like supports under the deck, have weakened
significantly,” she said.
Kesha noted that the repairs would be the first major work
on the Ijora bridge since it was constructed decades ago.
She said the initial phase of the work, which would involve
lifting the deck and replacing the bearings, would require full closure.
“However, subsequent activities such as removing and
replacing the asphalt might be done in stages, possibly on Sundays, to reduce
traffic disruption,” she added.
The federal controller harped on the importance of public
awareness, noting that David Umahi, the minister of works, mandated that any
bridge closure should be widely publicised.
“We want members of the public to know that this is for
their safety. With their cooperation, we can finish this work in time and
restore the bridge to a much safer condition,” she said.
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