The Minister of Works, Babatunde Fashola, has ordered the opening of the new Second Niger Bridge for 30 days ahead of the Yuletide season, to ease traffic congestion.
The Federal Controller of Works in Delta, Jimoh Olawale, stated on Wednesday in Asaba that the bridge would be opened to ease traffic for the festivities on December 15, 2022.
According to him, Fashola directed that the bridges, which are 95% complete, be opened for only 30 days to ease traffic during the Yuletide season.
Olawale submitted that “As we know, during the Christmas celebration, commuters suffer hardship accessing the old Niger Bridge due to traffic jams but with this arrangement, traffic congestion on Asaba-Benin Expressway will ease.
“We have notified the state government of this arrangement and we are working with the Federal Roads Safety Corps to ensure a hitch-free vehicular movement.
“Motorists going towards Owerri direction would divert through the access road near the old Niger Bridge to the new bridge.”
Naija News gathered that Olawale debunked allegations that the Federal Government had abandoned the payment of compensation to property owners along the access road to the bridge.
He revealed that modalities for payment of compensations were being worked out, adding 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 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 the government will pay all compensation before work will commence on the access road,” the controller added.
Olawale also stated that the government would finish construction on the 17-kilometer access road by May 29, 2023, and that the N64 billion project, which began in November 2017, is at a 12% completion level.
