JUST IN: FG ORDERS IMMEDIATE REOPENING OF INDEPENDENCE BRIDGE IN LAGOS

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The Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi has directed the immediate reopening of the Independence Bridge in Lagos to vehicular traffic.

The directive followed the earlier closure of the bridge by the Federal Government for planned maintenance and rehabilitation works.

The commencement of repairs yesterday caused horrendous experiences on the part of Lagos residents who spent hours on traffic.

Motorists heading to the Mainland also witnessed heavy congestion along alternative routes.

The bottlenecks stretched from Lekki through Victoria Island to Falomo Bridge and beyond.

The ever-busy Victoria Island and Ikoyi were the worst hit, with most streets witnessing gridlock.

Areas around Victoria Island, including Falomo, Law School, Ahmadu Bello Way, and the former Old Bar Beach, experienced long queues as motorists struggled to exit the Island.

A combination of this repair work and early morning rain in some parts of the city threw the entire city into chaos as traffic snarls caused slow movement, delaying people from getting to work early as they had to trek long distances

But the Federal Controller of Works, Lagos, Mrs. Olukorede Kesha, in a statement, expressed the Ministry of work’s regret for the inconvenience caused to the motoring public by the closure and appealed for their understanding and cooperation.

According to her, efforts are currently ongoing to ensure palliative works are carried out on the already opened bridge to make it motorable.