Motorists, residents, worry over distressed bridges in Lagos

As Dopemu Bridge cries for urgent intervention
As Lagos State Government intensify efforts in
identifying and demolishing distressed buildings
across the state, there are the growing concerns
over the poor state of most of the bridges in the
state, which have been left for so long without any consideration for rehabilitation and
maintenance. Recently, Lagos State Transport Management
Authority LASTMA, alerted both the Federal and
state governments on the need to effect
immediate rehabilitation on Liverpool Bridge in
Apapa which had been identified to be distressed,
to avert disaster. Also, residents and motorists along Ketu, Iyana-Oworo axis, have called the
attention of the state government to the Alapere-
Ogudu Link Bridge which requires repairs at the
distressed expansion joint on the bridge. Though both distressed bridges-Alapere-Ogudu
and Liverpool- had since been fixed, many more
bridges have been identified for immediate
rehabilitation. Also, two weeks ago, an alarm was
raised over the distressed expansion joints on Eko
Bridge, which is still awaiting intervention from Federal
government..



The dilapidated portion on the Dopemu-
Akowonjo link Bridge. Photo: Kehinde Gbadamosi However, last week, the cheering news broke on
the first move to prevent the “catastrophe waiting
to happen on Third Mainland Bridge”, when
Minister of Information, Labaran Maku announced
the approval of N290.745 million by President
Goodluck Jonathan for a comprehensive underwater inspection of the bridge. Maku said
the bridge’s integrity test, which would be
conducted and completed within two months,
was aimed at detecting areas on the bridge that
needed maintenance. Dopemu-Akowonjo Link Bridge alert FOR residents, it is not yet “Uhuru” on repairs of
bridges as fresh concern has been raised over
Dopemu-Akowonjo Link Bridge along Lagos-
Abeokuta expressway, Lagos, following
precarious state of some sections of the bridge.
There is a fast disjointed expansion joint on the right side of the bridge when coming from
Akowonjo to Dopemu, along Swipha Company
which is capable of collapsing. The side railings which could act as a stopper on
both side had either been damaged by accident
vehicles or removed by vandals. The failed section vibrates whenever vehicle
moves on it. “It is proper to say the bridge is
unsafe.” Mr. Adeolu Alabi, a regular motorist
along the axis said. Alabi continued: “Hence, it requires
comprehensive works to be carried out on the
bridge which has been left for so many years
without major maintenance work on it. “There is need for the state government to visit
the bridge and carry out a check on it to ascertain
its stability. Therefore, the state government
needs to come up with a holistic maintenance
structure for all its bridges considering its status
as one of the fastest growing megacities.” One of the deadly cases that happened on the
bridge was when a year old baby, her mother and
a driver narrowly escaped death when their black
Mitsubishi Montero Sports Utility Vehicle, SUV, fell
off the Dopemu Bridge But the occupants of the
SUV, the driver, Alex Stephen, Mrs. Adeyinka and her baby girl, one-year old Fadeyera Adeyinka,
escaped unhurt. They were taken to a private
hospital in Idimu, Lagos where they were treated
for shock. “The heavy traffic experienced daily on the
Abeokuta-Oshodi Expressway can be minimised if
the Dopemu Bridge that has a single lane is
expanded to two lanes on both sides. All the
vehicles going to Egbeda, Shasha, Ikotun and
Badagry (just to mention a few) all ply this narrow bridge, thereby causing heavy hold-up even on
Sundays. The authorities concerned should do
something so that Nigerians using this bridge can
enjoy a stress-free life.” – Yemi Saka