The federal government has said that the 2nd Niger Bridge will be partially open for public use during the yuletide.
The minister of works and housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola, disclosed this to State House correspondents after the Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Council Chamber, Presidential Villa Abuja.
According to him, the federal government was favourably disposed to opening a section of the 2nd Niger Bridge partially for public use this December to reduce the heavy gridlock on the existing bridge.
He said, “Considering the untold hardships commuters go through on the Asaba-Onitsha road especially on the old Niger Bridge during festive period like the Christmas and New Year, federal government has decided to open one section of the 2nd Niger Bridge in December.”
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 the 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 government.
He 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 has made the cost of the project to increase astronomically.
Fashola however promised that the project will be completed and commissioned by President Muhammadu Buhari before he leaves office in May 2023.
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