Roads & Construction
Lagos State Government Closes Eko Bridge For Repairs, Says Bridge No Longer Safe For Public (Photos)
Lagos State Government has announced an emergency closure of Eko Bridge in response to structural distress spotted on the flyover on Tuesday night. The closed section stretches from Alaka in Surulere to Costain.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, at 6:30am on Wednesday, led a team of engineers from the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, Lagos State Ministry of Works and Infrastructure, and Julius Berger on an inspection of the bridge, following complaints of physical defects observed on one of the supporting pillars at Iganmu stretch.
Restriction of vehicular movement on the bridge, Gov. Sanwo-Olu said, is a necessary precautionary measure to avert an incident that may result into a loss of lives. The Governor disclosed that the preliminary assessment of the structure gave an indication that the bridge is no longer safe for commuters.
During the inspection of the failed section, it was observed that the matters protecting the bridge bearings have fallen off, thereby disassembling the metal bearings on the northern and southern directions. This compromises the supporting base of the bridge deck, leaving the bridge to rest on a faulty pair of concrete base.
Sanwo-Olu said there would be a thorough structural assessment of the bridge during the period of its closure, after which repair works would commence fixing the failed section. He pleaded with commuters to be patient while the State Government and the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing made efforts to remediate the observed distress on the bridge.
He said: “The closure of the Eko Bridge from Alaka to Costain early this morning is for us to take full precautionary measures to avert untoward incidents. We have observed a major physical defect and we don’t want to leave anything to chance. While the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing carry out thorough investigation on the defect, the State Government will be coming out with full traffic impact assessment to quickly provide adequate alternatives and diffuse traffic that will build up as a result of the closure.
“This is a bridge that is not designed to have a dead weight on it, which means it is not originally built to have heavy-duty trucks or container-laden vehicles parked on it. When both the contractor and Federal Ministry of Works and Housing feel it is safe to temporarily or fully re-open the bridge, we will certainly communicate to the public. But, we need to inform the public why we need to come here early in the morning to close the bridge.”
The Governor pleaded with the motorists and other road users plying the route to obey traffic diversion order and personnel already deployed to ensure free flow of traffic on the axis. He said unnecessary rush and disobedience to traffic measures could compound traffic congestion in the area.
Sanwo-Olu said the State Government had continually carried out maintenance work on other bridges across the State to ensure they are safe for public use. The effort, he said, is being supported by ongoing road rehabilitation across the State to reduce travel time. He disclosed that the Government would be embarking on maintenance work on Third Mainland Bridge.
Eko Bridge is a Federal Government asset constructed by Julius Berger in 1976. The section to be worked on by Julius Berger stretches from Alaka in Surulere inward Apogbon on the Lagos Island, spanning 4.2 kilometres.