MINISTER OF WORKS AND HOUSING, MR BABATUNDE FASHOLA ORDERS THE OPENING OF THE SECOND NIGER BRIDGE ON DECEMBER 15, FOR 30DAYS
THE Second Niger Bridge will be opened to traffic on December 15, the Federal Ministry of Works said yesterday through its Controller of Works in Delta State, Mr. Jimoh Olawale.
Olawale told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Asaba, the state capital, that the bridge would be opened for only 30 days.
According to him, Works and Housing Minister Babatunde Fashola, ordered the opening of the bridge to ease traffic during the Yuletide. The project is 95 per cent completed.
The Controller of Works said: “As we know, during the Christmas celebration, commuters suffer hardship accessing the old Niger Bridge due to traffic jam but with this arrangement, traffic congestion on Asaba-Benin Expressway will ease.
We have notified the state government on this arrangement and we are working with the Federal Roads Safety Corps (FRSC) to ensure a hitch free vehicular movement.
Motorist going towards Owerri direction would divert through the access road near the old Niger Bridge to the new bridge.”
Olawale debunked claims by a group alleging that Federal Government had abandoned the payment of compensation to property owners along the access road to the second Niger Bridge.
He explained that the government had not taken possession of any property along the 17 kilometre Okpanam-Ibusa-Asaba-Oko bypass to the new bridge, but only served notice that their structures were within the government right of way.
The controller assured that the modalities for payment of compensations were being worked out.
He said: “The Federal Government has appointed a consultant, Messrs C.O. Akpabor and Company to enumerate the properties for compensation.
Each claimant has an attorney that liaises with the consultant, so there is totally no need for protest, more so that the federal government has not taken possession of the properties nor commenced construction work on the access road.
“As at moment, nobody’s structure or property has been demolished.
Federal government verification team have visited and submitted its report to Abuja and government will pay all compensation before work will commence on the access road.”
Olawale assured that government would complete construction work on the 17-kilometre access road before May 29, next year.
The controller said that contract for the 110.63-kilometre Sapele-Eku-Agbor Road dualisation project would be reviewed in line with current realities.
Olawale added that the N64 billion project, which began in November 2017, has been at 12 per cent completion level.
He added that the federal government recently completed and inaugurated a ring road project connecting communities in Isoko area of the state.
On the Yuletide, the controller advised motorists to maintain 100km per hour speed limit in order to get to their destinations safely.
