The Federal Governnent on Wednesday said that the 2nd Niger Bridge will partially be open for public use during the yuletide.
The announcement will bring respite to commuters playing the ever-busy Asaba-Onitsha road.
The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN disclosed this while fielding questions from State House correspondents at the end of the weekly Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Council Chamber, Presidential Villa Abuja.
The Minister said that the federal government was favourably disposed to open a section of the 2nd Niger Bridge partially for public use this December to reduce the heavy gridlock on the existing bridge.
According to him, “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 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 Nigeria 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.