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Fashola Inspects Damaged Pier Of Lagos Airport Link Bridge, Gives Traders 2 Weeks To Vacate (PHOTOS)
The Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola on Thursday inspected the damaged pier of Airport Link Bridge at Toyota Bus Stop along Apapa-Oshodi Expressway, Lagos.
According to NAN, the Flyover which spans the Apapa-Oshodi-Ojota-Oworonshoki Expressway project being reconstructed was engulfed by fire when a petrol tanker burst into flames on Jan. 7.
Following the incident, the Federal government immediately shut the bridge and on Jan. 8 warned the public to stay off the Airport Road Flyover pending the determination of its structural safety.
Fashola during the inspection of the bridge examined the walls of the burnt piers before going round to educate the traders on the dangers of carrying out commercial activities in the vicinity thereby, damaging road infrastructure.
He told the traders that street trading jeopardised both their safety and that of the road and gave the traders and artisans two weeks to vacate the area around the flyover.
He advised them to relocate to the Matori Industrial Estate in Ladipo purposely built by the Jakande government for commercial activities.
“This is not a market, you don’t do business on the road, I am giving you two weeks to vacate this place,” he said.
Fashola told journalists that “two weeks was reasonable time for trespassers” to vacate the highway.
He added that work would soon commence on the service lanes of the Apapa-Oshodi-Ojota-Oworonshoki rehabilitation/reconstruction project where 20 kilometres of work had been completed.
Speaking on the fire that engulfed the bridge, Fashola said that integrity test carried out on the bridge showed the level of damages to both the bridge deck and its pier.
He explained that efforts were in place to repair the bridge to make it safe again for use.
“That Airport Road Flyover will not be available for some time,” he said.
He said that he had directed the FRSC to carry out an investigation and provide information on the cause of the accident and owner of the vehicle, adding that, they will face sanctions if found guilty.
He added that measures were in place to work with the office of the Attorney General of the Federation on the prosecution of reckless articulated vehicle drivers causing avoidable accidents and fires destroying roads and bridges in Lagos State.
Fashola also said that the Federal Government was going to liaise with the Lagos State Government on training and retraining of drivers towards attitude change.
He added that road signages would be increased on Lagos highways stating that preliminary investigations by experts revealed that the articulated vehicles accidents and fires were caused by speeding.
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