Many motorists on the ever-busy Lagos-Ibadan expressway, where the damaged Lotto Interchange Bridge is nestled, have raised the alarm over the imminent danger the bridge poses to them, saying many lives will be lost if it gives way.
The bridge nestled in Mowe’s axis of the road has remained a death trap to teeming travellers, motorists who ply the road that links other parts of the country daily, three months after top Federal Government officials came for inspection and promised to repair the bridge.
Our correspondent gathered that the bridge, which happened to be one of the expressway’s uncompleted interchanges, was damaged in April this year when an articulated vehicle carrying an excavator collided with its beams.
It was further gathered that the bridge became very precarious when another truck carrying a massive tank for the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited collided with the same part of the already weakened bridge within a month of the first incident.
LEADERSHIP checks revealed that some vital parts of the overhead beams hang precariously, dangling at any time a vehicle plies the bridge, thereby posing a grave danger to the teeming road users.
When our correspondent visited the bridge on Sunday, it was observed that the headroom of the bridge has continued to experience collisions with the heavy-duty trucks that ply the roads without strict protocols and enforcement measures.
It would be recalled that the minister of Works, David Umahi, at a joint inspection tour in May, along with directors of highway bridges and design, controllers of Works from Lagos and Ogun states, structural engineers from the Federal Ministry of Works, and officials from the Lagos Ministry of Works, examined the structural damages of the five critical bridges, including Lotto, Ogere, Sapade, and Alapako.
Umahi uncovered severe structural threats during his inspection of Lotto Bridge, including rusted reinforcement rods and damage caused by repeated collisions from heavy-duty trucks.
He said the existing headroom on the bridge was inadequate for modern transportation demands.
Commenting on the damaged bridge, the Federal Controller of Works in Lagos, Mrs. Olukorede Kesha, stated that the damage was caused by a low-bed articulated truck transporting an excavator, which collided with the bridge structure.”
She said the bridge was in its final stage of completion, with only the connecting ramps left to be finished, when a low-bed articulated truck carrying an excavator collided with the structure, causing structural damage.
She noted that the crash damaged five beams, two beyond repair, forcing the government to order a replacement and initiate a fresh round of technical assessments to determine the full scope of repair work.
According to Kesha, “The Lotto Bridge was almost completed, with only the connecting ramps left to be finished by the contractor who took over from Julius Berger. Unfortunately, the recent damage is expected to delay the project by several months.”
She explained that the incident would have ripple effects on traffic flow, safety, and economic activity along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, a critical corridor for the movement of people and goods.
Kesha also revealed that,’’ technical evaluation of the damage had commenced with government engineers currently preparing a detailed report outlining the required repairs, cost implications, and a revised completion timeline for the project. Once the report is approved, the contractor will immediately begin the necessary repair work without delay.’’
The Federal Controller of Works in Lagos confirmed that the driver of the truck responsible for the crash had been arrested.
She urged logistics companies and fleet operators to comply fully with safety regulations, warning that the government would enforce strict measures—including activating weighbridges at the Old Toll Gate—to curb overloading, height violations, and other dangerous practices.
She said the Lotto Bridge Interchange would remain closed to traffic until the damaged sections are completely repaired and officially certified safe, stressing that public safety would remain the top priority before reopening this vital piece of infrastructure.
Motorists who spoke with our correspondent at separate interviews lamented that the bridge headroom is falling apart and causing them fear and tension. They said accidents may likely occur if the bridge is not rehabilitated urgently.
A motorist who identified himself as Alhaji Yunusa told LEADERSHIP that the lives of thousands of motorists and millions of transporters are on the verge of being ruined by what he called ‘government carelessness’ to quickly address the scourge.
He added that if nothing is done urgently, many lives will be lost, and businesses will grind to a halt when the bridge eventually falls. He called on the government to quickly intervene to rehabilitate and save the Lotto Bridge from collapsing on travellers.
Another observer, who spoke to our correspondent, said it was high time the Minister of Works took the drone study of the Lotto Bridge to the president for urgent funding approval so that the structural engineers could start working on the bridge.
Despite pledges, the federal government has yet to commence emergency repair works on the distressed Lotto bridge along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.
Following an inspection three months ago, the Minister of Works directed emergency repairs to five critical bridges on the road.
The bridges inspected include Lotto, Ogere, Sapade and Alapako, where he acknowledged severe structural threats, including rusted reinforcement rods and damage caused by repeated collisions from heavy-duty trucks.
Two months ago, the Federal Controller of Works in Lagos, Mrs Olukorede Kesha, disclosed the federal government’s plans to begin palliative repairs on failing expansion joints along key bridges on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
However, work has yet to commence on the distressed bridges. In a recent video shared by a citizen, the Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi was called on to begin repair works to avert disaster on the ever-busy road.
The concerned citizen warned of the imminent collapse of the bridge if the government fails to intervene quickly.
The citizen also accused truck drivers of not heeding warning signs, thereby destroying the bridge.
While Mohammed Ahmed, the Director of Press at the Ministry of Works, did not answer calls or respond to messages on his official line, the Special Adviser on Media to the Minister of Works, Barrister Orji Uchenna Orji, said it was an old video that the Controller of Works had responded to.
He referred this reporter to the Controller of Works and also shared her past response on the distressed bridges.
She was yet to provide updates; however, below is her response as provided by Barr Orji.
“Careless trailers continue to hit the bridge. We are in the process of repairing it and increasing the headroom.
“We’re working to increase the headroom, but how many of those who have the warning signs are obeyed? It’s a known fact that the authorised headroom for bridges is 5m, as stated in all our books, and the maximum axle load is 30 tons. Who obeys, nobody. Those who load and operate the truck you just showed are aware of these limits but will not adhere to them. They disobey the law and get away with it. Even if they are caught, they face no consequences. Nigeria, we hail thee. They can try this in any of our neighbouring countries. Press should help to educate them, please. The amount committed to avoidable repairs is so much”.
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