2nd bridge over the Niger ready 2024 — Acting Federal Controller

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The Acting Federal Comptroller of Works in Anambra State, Seyi Martins, has said that the second Niger Bridge will be fully ready for use by the first quarter of 2024.

He said this on Saturday, when he received members of the Engineering Regulatory Council in Nigeria at the bridge, adding that work on the facility had reached 95% completion.

Martins said that although the bridge project will be officially commissioned by December 2022, it will be fully open for use by 2024, due to a second phase of work, a road approach of 3.3 km, on the delta side and a 7 km road approach on the Anambra side which had not yet started.

He pointed out that the first phase of the project is almost complete, saying that only the final asphalt pavement remains, on the way of the causeway towards Asaba.

According to him, the bridge which would be approximately 1.7 km parallel to the existing bridge, would be a double carriageway with three lanes on either side measuring approximately 1.6 km in length while the total length of the project would be 11.9 km.

The Acting Comptroller further stated that the steel guardrails have been completed, while the roads are being prepared for vehicular traffic and the toll area is nearing completion.

He said: "The bridge project is 95% complete and it is expected to be in service by the end of December 2022, but there is a second phase which consists of a 3.3 km road approach on the delta side and 7 km approach road on the Anambra side which has not started yet.

"The bridge is accessible from the Oba interchange on the Onitsha-Owerri road. A road is being constructed to connect traffic on the Asaba-Benin highway pending completion of the second phase.

"The second phase of the project has not yet started, but the government has seen fit that upon completion of the first phase, it will be open to traffic.

"At the end of Onitsha there is an interchange at Oba, where you can access the bridge and at the end of Asaba there is a link road that we are building to allow travelers to to access the bridge from the Benin-Onitsha road."

COREN's President, Victor Meju, expressed his satisfaction with the quality of the work carried out so far and the use of local engineers and also congratulated the contractor.

Meju said COREN management is keen to ensure that engineers working on projects at Anambra are certified.

He expressed his satisfaction with the extent of the work done so far, while commending the Chairman, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (Retired) for his commitment to deliver the work as planned.< /p>

He noted that the bridge, when completed, will not only boost economic activities in the Southeast and South-South, but also those of the whole country.

He said: "What we observed today is impressive. We are happy that our members, local engineers, have been generously used in this project.

“We thank the Federal Government and the Anambra and Delta State Government for their efforts in moving the project forward so far. We are confident that the bridge will increase business activities in the region.”