By Steve Agbota
There was tension in the early hours of Wednesday when the Ijora bridge, a major access road leading to the Apapa Port, caved in, causing serious traffic gridlock along the port area.
As at the time of filing in this report, officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) had cordoned off the failed portion of the bridge and were coordination traffic through the remaining lane on the bridge.
The LASTMA officer who doesn’t want his name in print told Daily Sun that Lagos State Government and Federal Ministry of Works have been notified about the failed portion of the road.
“We have been on ground since morning trying to manage the traffic situation here in order to ensure free flow of traffic and other road users.
“We believe that the authorities will take immediate actions ti fix the failed portion of the road since they have been briefed. For now, we are doing our best to put the traffic situation here under control,” he said.
Port users who spoke with Daily Sun blamed the collapsed due to number of heavy vehicles plying the road to Apapa everyday.
They, however, blamed both Federal Government and Lagos State Government for their negligence and lack of maintenance, as they said the bridge must have been giving signs for a very long time that it can’t just caved in one day.
In a statement released by the Lagos State, Commissioner for Transportation, Dr. Frederic Oladeinde said that pending when repairs will be carried out by the Federal Government, the Lagos State Government has alerted Motorists on the failed Deck-on-Pile Bridge at Ijora Olopa inbound Ijora Oloye, while releasing traffic diversion.
“The following routes have been mapped out to minimize inconvenience; motorists from Eko Bridge are advised to utilize Iganmu/Sifax to access Ijora Oloye or Apapa.
“Motorists from Iddo heading to Ijora-Oloye/Apapa will be diverted at the intersection underpass on a contra flow to reconnect at the U-Turn inwards Ijora-Oloye or Apapa.
“The Ministry appeals to Motorists who make use of the corridor to cooperate with the State’s Traffic Management Authority, (LASTMA) and the interventions put in place to manage the traffic,” he said.
Recall that Daily Sun reported in 2020, when the Port users at Tin Can Island and Apapa raised the alarm over vibration of Liverpool Bridge linking the two facilities, and called on the Federal and Lagos State Governments to expedite actions to avert a looming danger to stakeholders.
Those who spoke with Daily Sun then about the shaking bridge, said the development clearly shows that the situation portend grave danger to haulage and other port activities unless immediate actions are taken to ensure its rehabilitation.
Then, the President of Save Nigeria Freight Forwarders Importers and Exporters Coalition (SNFFIEC), Chukwu Osita Patrick, said there is need to for the Federal Government to expedite action on the rehabilitation of the bridge, warning that failure to rectify the bridge may lead to its collapse.
According to him, over 5000 trailers passing through the Liverpool Bridge everyday.
He added: “The bridge needs rehabilitation having seen how long it (Liverpool bridge) has lasted. Government cannot be talking about rehabilitation of the Third Mainland Bridge without looking at other bridges now under threat collapsing.”
Daily Sun learnt that since then, no palliative work has been done on the bridge expect that authorities cleared the bridge and does not allow heavy vehicles to park on the bridge anymore.