FG  to open 2nd Niger Bridge partially for December 

The Federal Government announced on Wednesday,November 23rd, that the 2nd Niger Bridge will be partially open for public use during the yuletide season. 

The announcement  was made through the Minister of Works and Housing,Babatunde Raji Fashola,SAN, who said that opening the bridge will bring respite to commuters playing the ever-busy Asaba-Onitsha road.

Fashola disclosed this while fielding questions from State House correspondents at the end of the weekly Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Council Chamber, Presidential Villa Abuja.

The Minister said that the federal government was favourably disposed to open a section of the 2nd Niger Bridge partially for public use this December to reduce the heavy gridlock on the already existing bridge.

According to him, “Considering the untold hardships commuters go through on the Asaba-Onitsha road especially on the old Niger Bridge during festive periods like the Christmas and New Year, the federal government has decided to open one section of the 2nd Niger Bridge in December,”he said. 

He said that the Bridge is almost completed, although work is still on-going on

the approach roads from Asaba end of the bridge, adding that works have been completed on the approach roads from Onitsha end.

He said traffic will be diverted to West-bound of the new bridge after the festivities.

The former Lagos state governor also revealed that government will close the entire 2nd Niger Bridge after the yuletide to enable the contractors complete the project and formally hand it over to the Nigeria government.

Fashola blamed the delay in  the completion of the 2nd Niger Bridge by the present administration to many factors, especially the high rate of inflation which had been ongoing in the country which had added to the cost of the project and increased it  astronomically.

Fashola however promised that the project will be completed and commissioned by President Muhammadu Buhari before he leaves office in May 2023.