First Driver To Cross Speaks As Second Niger Bridge Opens To Traffic

The Federal Government has opened the Second Niger Bridge to vehicular traffic bringing to fruition years of expectation of alternatives to the only main bridge dividing the west and eastern parts of the country.

Vanguard gathered that the bridge was open at exactly 9:50am on Thursday, December 15, 2022.

According to a government official who spoke on the development, the bridge opened following some little adjustments on the roads linking the bridge.

The first driver to pass through the bridge, Sunday Emem, expressed joy while speaking to Channels Television.

Emem said, “I feel so happy, at least it will reduce the hold-up. We’ve stayed over one hour at the other bridge.”

Obinna Eze, the second driver to pass through the bridge, urged the Federal Government to complete the bridge before May 2023.

Eze said, “It is a reality, though it is not 100% complete, so far what we are seeing is impressive. We commend the present administration and hope they complete it based on the time frame.”

Recall that the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola (SAN), last Thursday disclosed that the Second Niger Bridge would be open to traffic from December 15, 2022, to January 15, 2023, to ease the experience of travellers during the Yuletide break.

The 1.6 kilometers long Second Niger Bridge which links Anambra and Delta states is expected to reduce the traffic on the first bridge.

The Second Niger Bridge was first proposed during the 1978/79 political campaign by then-candidate Shehu Shagari of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN).

In August 2012, the Federal Executive Council under then-President  Goodluck Jonathan’s approved a contract worth N325 million for the final planning and design of the bridge.

The project continued under President Muhammad Buhari, who had first cancelled the earlier contract in August 2015 to resume the contract on September 1, 2018.

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