After 15 months of closure due to rehabilitation work, the Nigerian federal government, in collaboration with the Lagos State Government, reopened the Eko Bridge on Saturday.
The closure was necessitated by severe damage caused by a fire resulting from illegal trading activities underneath the bridge at the Apogbon section.
As one of the three bridges connecting the mainland to Lagos Island, the reopening of Eko Bridge brought immense relief to motorists and commuters who had endured months of inconvenience while traveling to and from Lagos Island.
Excited commuters gathered to witness Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and the Federal Comptroller of Works, Mrs. Olukorede Keisha, during a drive-through ceremony to mark the reopening of the flyover.
Governor Sanwo-Olu announced that repair work on the Apogbon axis had been completed, but emphasized that maintenance work would continue on the entire bridge, leading to intermittent closures in the coming months.
He extended the federal government’s apology to Lagos residents for the delay in restoring the bridge to use, stressing that reopening it without proper reconstruction of the damaged section would pose risks.
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While expressing his delight at the reopening, Governor Sanwo-Olu stated, “The maintenance work on the entire bridge has not been completed. There are still many bearings that need reinforcement along the entire stretch of the infrastructure. In the future, there may be more intermittent closures at different sections of the bridge, but these closures will not last longer than one or two weeks. This is necessary for us to enhance the bridge and complete the maintenance work. We are reopening the bridge to bring relief to road users who have endured hardship due to the repair work.”
The governor also announced that the contractor responsible for the project would reconstruct ancillary roads along the corridor to prevent further misuse of the bridge.
Moreover, he declared that trading activities beneath the bridge would no longer be permitted to prevent further damage. A seven-day ultimatum was issued for all traders and illegal squatters to remove their belongings and vacate the space under the Eko Bridge.
The Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences Enforcement Unit (Taskforce) was directed to clear any illegal structures found beneath the bridge after the ultimatum.
Governor Sanwo-Olu emphasized, “We will not tolerate any form of illegal activities under this bridge and other bridges in the state. The bridges are important assets to the state, and we cannot allow a few people to destroy them. We have witnessed the effects that the destruction of Eko Bridge had on the entire city. We cannot afford to have these bridges shut down again because of illegal activities. We will clear all squatters from Ijora Olopa to Costain, and there will be zero tolerance for market activity under the bridge.”
Keisha, the Federal Comptroller of Works, commended the Lagos State Government for collaborating with the Federal Ministry of Works to expedite the repair work on the bridge. She acknowledged that the reopening of the bridge was made possible due to the intervention of the state government.
Keisha explained that comprehensive maintenance work had already commenced on Eko Bridge before the fire incident occurred, causing the contractor to focus on the damaged sections. With the repaired parts now restored, the contractor will continue the maintenance work to reinforce the bridge for public safety.
