Federal Government Halts Planned Closure of Eko Bridge

LAGOS—The Federal Government announced yesterday that it will not proceed with the planned closure of the Eko Bridge in Lagos State.

Minister of Works Senator Dave Umahi made the statement during an inspection of the bridge.

Umahi said, “We had directed that this bridge be closed about two weeks ago, but our caring President Bola Tinubu is very concerned about the impact of that closure on Nigerians.”

“He has asked me to return and re‑evaluate the decision so that we avoid unnecessary hardship,” he added.

According to the minister, his team reassessed the bridge’s structural integrity on Monday and confirmed that the closure could be suspended for the time being.

He explained, “We have carried out a technical evaluation in line with the President’s directive. Safety remains our priority; we have determined that, for now, the bridge is safe, but we will not allow any situation that compromises the safety of Nigerians using it. We have agreed on three procedures.”

The first procedure, Umahi said, is to keep the bridge open while monitoring the crack’s progression.

He noted that the crack has not shown any arithmetic or geometric growth at present.

“No progression so far. We are comfortable, but a crack could appear at any time. I will return to reassess it,” he said.

The minister also announced that remedial work will be carried out on the bridge.

He said, “We have agreed on remedial work that Buildwell can complete within four months, involving additional piling, a pie cap, and a connection to the cracked section to bypass the damaged area.”

“This will allow us to keep the bridge open, and once the entire slab in that section is lifted, we will demolish the cracked portion,” he added.

Umahi thanked President Tinubu for his efforts to advance Nigeria.

He concluded, “I can assure you that the President means well. We owe him prayers and support, and God will guide us.”

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