The Federal Government has suspended the planned closure of the Eko Bridge after a fresh technical assessment confirmed that the structure remains safe for public use for now.
Minister of Works Dave Umahi announced the decision during an inspection of the bridge in Lagos. He said the earlier plan to shut down the bridge was reviewed following concerns raised by President Bola Tinubu over the possible hardship the closure could cause commuters and residents.
“We directed that this bridge be closed about two weeks back, but our caring President Bola Tinubu is very much concerned about the closure of this Eko Bridge,” Umahi said. “He asked me to come back here and take a second look at that decision so that we don’t induce much hardship on Nigerians.”
According to the minister, engineers reassessed the bridge and found that the crack discovered on the structure had not worsened. He explained that the government would continue to monitor the situation closely to ensure the safety of road users. “We have seen that, for now, we are safe, but we won’t get to a situation where any Nigerian on this bridge will not be safe,” he added.
Umahi said the government had approved remedial works expected to last four months. The repair plan includes additional piling and reinforcement work aimed at bypassing the damaged section before a full reconstruction of the affected slab is carried out later. He stressed that authorities would continue regular inspections to track any further structural changes.
The minister assured Lagos residents that public safety remained the government’s top priority while efforts were being made to minimise disruption on one of the city’s busiest transport routes. He also praised President Tinubu for what he described as a commitment to balancing infrastructure safety with the welfare of Nigerians.
