By Harry Awurumibe, Editor Abuja Bureau
Nigeria’s Minister of Works and Housing Babatunde Raji Fashola, has restated the commitment of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari to complete the 2nd Niger Bridge before leaving office on May 29, 2023.
This is even as the minister said that reports from commuters using the East-bound axis of the new bridge are very positive as motorists are having smooth drive across the bridge since it was opened a week ago.
Fashola who spoke to State House Correspondents after the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Buhari in the Council Chambers, State House, Abuja on Wednesday, said job on the multi-billion naira new bridge is almost complete but for the disruption of work occasioned by the sit-at-home order being observed by the people in the South East end of the bridge.
According to him the sit-at-home which are carried out on Mondays have conspired to delay the speed of the work as the contractors have lost many man hours just as he stated that those lost days are responsible for the none completion of the project.
But the former Lagos state Governor revealed that work on the remaining work in both the Obosi and Asaba sides of the bridge are progressing well, pointing out that the project despite the delay will be completed and commissioned before the end of the present administration on May 29, 2023.
Said he: “I am certain that the 2nd Niger Bridge will be completed and commissioned before the end of this administration. The work remaining to be done on the main bridge are just road markings, fixing of signs and fittings. It is completed if I may say hence it is being put to temporary use now.
“From the Obosi side in the Eastern part, work is on-going on the adjoining roads and would have been completed if not the seat-at-home order on Mondays which have slowed the pace of the work.
Also, from the Asaba end of the bridge, you can see the stockpiling of sand and because it’s a marshy area, after sand-filling, you allow the land to dry up. So we are doing the pre-fabricated stockpiling and soon the works will be completed “.
