1st Niger Bridge Repairs: Commuters Commend FG, Express Concerns Over Persistent Vibration

Mixed reactions have trailed the rehabilitation of the First Niger Bridge, which links Anambra and Delta states, as commuters commend the federal government for the repairs but express concerns over the quality of work following reports that the bridge still vibrates when heavy vehicles pass.

Those who spoke to LEADERSHIP Weekend acknowledged improvements in the condition of the bridge after it was reopened to vehicular traffic last Wednesday by the Minister of Works, Senator Dave Umahi. However, they called for further checks to ensure that the rehabilitation would last.

An Onitsha-based businessman, Mr Chizoba Odikanyianwuna, said he drove across the bridge the day after it was reopened and noticed that traffic moved more smoothly than before.

He also commended the improved appearance of the bridge, saying it had been repainted and that missing bolts allegedly removed by vandals had been replaced.

However, he said the bridge continued to vibrate, particularly when articulated vehicles passed over it.

“I drove on the bridge the following day after it was reopened, and I noticed that vehicles now move smoothly on the bridge, and the bridge is well painted, everywhere looking very beautiful. Even those bolts that thieves removed from the bridge have been replaced. But the bridge is still vibrating like before when a big lorry is passing on it,” he said.

Odikanyianwuna expressed concern that the repairs might not stand the test of time, urging the government to ensure that the work was durable rather than being driven by political considerations ahead of the next election.

“I just hope that the repair they did on that bridge will last, not just because election is coming, they now say let us rehabilitate the bridge so that people will vote for us. So, I will wait until I see that what they did will last before I will start thanking the government,” he added.

Two other commuters, Doubleking Eze and Chukwuka Victor, also commended the federal government for rehabilitating the bridge but expressed similar reservations about the quality of the work.

They noted that damaged and vandalised components, including parts of the expansion-joint steelworks, stanchion and steel-truss nuts, as well as iron bolts allegedly stolen by scavengers, had been repaired or replaced.

However, they said the bridge continued to vibrate whenever heavy trucks passed over it.

Eze urged the authorities to conduct further checks to ensure the repairs would remain effective for a long time, stressing the need to use high-quality bolts to replace those allegedly stolen.

“You will still hear vibration on the bridge when a heavy vehicle is passing on it. So, I will advise that they have to check to see that what they did will last for a long time. You know that that bridge was built many, many years ago. So, it requires high-quality bolts to replace those ones thieves stole,” he said.

Victor described the rehabilitation as overdue, noting that the bridge serves as a major transport link between the South-East and the South-West, among other parts of the country.

The federal government had initially closed the bridge to vehicular traffic for two weeks from September 7 to enable rehabilitation work.

However, after inspecting the ongoing maintenance during the closure, Umahi extended the shutdown indefinitely to allow for more comprehensive repairs.

The minister also included the rehabilitation of 100 metres of the road leading to the bridge from each end in Anambra and Delta states.

The bridge was eventually reopened last Wednesday, 38 days after the closure began, instead of the initially projected 14 days.