TheCable

The federal government says the Second Niger Bridge will be fully open to motorists on May 15, 2023.

Babatunde Fashola, minister of works and housing, spoke on Tuesday while inspecting and confirming the completion of the Loko-Oweto Bridge and link roads between Benue and Nasarawa states.

Fashola said the project was undergoing necessary finishing works such as lane markings and others.

He added that the flag-off ceremony will be formally done by the President Muhammadu Buhari.

“Yesterday (Monday), we had a periodic meeting in the office of the chief of staff to the president where the contractors, and our team, all reviewed the challenges [on the Second Niger Bridge] and how to solve them,” the minister said.

“The link road [of the bridge] that we formally opened to traffic, the date we have now is the 15th of May, as of yesterday ‘(Monday). We are rolling out all the steps to support the contractor to see that date is achieved.

“A lot of snag resolutions are going to start; lane marking on the bridge will soon start and erection of signage will also soon start. Just about two weeks before the end of the term, the President will be invited to the completion, and maybe any day thereafter, he will be able to fly in and do the ceremony. But by the 15th of May, the bridge should be fully open to traffic.”

Fashola also assured that the Lagos-Ibadan expressway will be completed by April 30.

On December 15, 2022, the federal government opened the Second Niger Bridge for use, in order to ease traffic in the south-east during the festive season.

The bridge was opened for one month during the yuletide, and later closed to traffic on January 15, 2023.

Similarly, work on the Lagos-Ibadan road was suspended to ease traffic during the yuletide.