Drivers and commuters on the ever-busy Lagos-Ibadan Expressway have cried for help in despair over the decrepit Lotto Interchange Bridge, warning that it is bound to collapse unless the federal government acts fast.
Three months since the top officials of the nation headed by the Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi came to inspect the bridge and promised to carry out emergency maintenance, nothing significant has been done. The compromised bridge on the Mowe axis of Ogun State continues to endanger the lives of thousands of commuters daily.
The bridge was first damaged in April when a low-bed articulated truck carrying an excavator rammed into its overhead beams. Another crash by yet another heavy-duty truck carrying a tank owned by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited worsened the damage. Some beams were damaged, with at least two others being labeled as unsalvageable.
Despite being under inspection visits and open guarantees, critical repair work has stalled. During a Sunday visit, our correspondent observed that the headroom of the bridge remains dangerously low, with suspended metal girders and naked structural weaknesses. Articulated lorries and tankers still butt the bridge due to lax enforcement of traffic and safety regulations.
Drivers spoken to were growing anxious. “Thousands of drivers’ livelihoods are going to be ruined because of government complacency,” said an Alhaji Yunusa, a transporter. “Unless a serious intervention is taken, people will die and businesses will be ruined once that bridge literally collapses.”
Another spectator urged the Minister of Works to go ahead with the matter directly before President Bola Tinubu for approval and funds for reconstruction.
The Minister Umahi had already conceded on a May inspection tour that the bridge and Sapade, Alapako, and Ogere suffered extreme structural weaknesses, including corroded reinforcement bars and frequent truck impact. He conceded that the existing 5-meter headroom was too low for modern transport demands.
The Lagos Federal Controller of Works, Mrs. Olukorede Kesha, confirmed Lotto Bridge was nearly done before the crash brought work to a halt. She reported five beams were destroyed and two of them would be replaced entirely. Technical assessments are still ongoing to determine extent and degree of repairs needed.
“The damage will delay the project several months,” she said, adding that the bridge will remain closed until the damage is fully repaired and certified as safe. “We are attempting to provide headroom, but careless truck drivers continue to strike the bridge because there is no enforcement and no respect for safety rules.”
Kesha also disclosed that the driver of the offending truck had been taken in, and threatened to have weighbridges at strategic points activated to end future infringement soon.
Meanwhile, citizens’ uploaded videos on the web have reignited public outcry, demanding action by the Ministry of Works before it is too late. Critics argue that government mum is no longer tolerable on a highway as critical to the economy of the country and inter-state connectivity.
While the Minister’s Special Adviser on Media, Barrister Orji Uchenna Orji, was quick to refer to the video recording of the condition of the bridge seen virally as “old,” he asked the journalists to check the statement by the Controller of Works. No new releases or clear timelines have since been issued, though.
“Even when motorists are caught violating height and weight limits, nothing is done,” bemoaned Kesha in her last response. “The media must help educate the people. The cost of these avoidable repairs is too high. Nigeria, we salute thee.”
With the wet season now more ferocious and road conditions worsen, the future of the Lotto Bridge hangs in the balance along with the lives and livelihood of all who depend on it daily.
