The Federal Government has ordered the temporary opening of the Second Niger Bridge for use from midnight, 15th December 2022 to 15th January 2023 to ease traffic load and ensure that travelers get to their destination in time during the yuletide.
Minister of Works, Mr Babatunde Fashola, SAN, who was accompanied by the Delta State Commissioner for Works (Highways and Urban), Noel Omodon; acting Controller of Works, Federal Ministry of Works and Housing and Resident Engineer for the project, Oluwaseyi Martins; Delta State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Bassey Esiet, and other top Federal and State Government officials, inspected the project and measures put in place to make the road motorable, ahead of the temporary opening of the bridge.
Fashola, who took a walk round the bridge during the inspection, counselled road users plying the bridge to drive safely and responsibly in order not to defeat the purpose of constructing the project.
The minister pointed out that the President, Muhammadu Buhari’s purpose of completing the bridge was to save lives and alleviate poverty occasioned by waste of many hours resulting from gridlock on the old First Niger Bridge.
He noted that the opening of the Second Niger Bridge would alleviate the sufferings of the motoring public who always experienced gridlock during the Yuletide.
He said it would be counterproductive if users of the bridge would become reckless and attract unnecessary mishaps upon themselves.
The Minister added that the bridge would be officially opened by 12:01am on Thursday, December 15, 2022 to January 15, 2023.
Story: Christy Dung