FG sets July 15 deadline for reopening of Eko, Apongbon bridges

The federal government says July 15 is the new deadline for the completion of repairs and the reopening of both the Eko and Apongbon bridges to traffic in Lagos. 

The Lagos government had ordered the closure of the Eko bridge following a fire outbreak in the Apongbon market in March 2022.

The 4.1kilometre Eko bridge links Lagos Island with Mainland and directly connects Apongbon on the Island side. The fire also affected a section of the bridge. 

As a result of the development, the federal ministry of works had said integrity tests would be conducted by a team of engineers from the federal and state governments.

Efforts to complete the Apongbon bridge in December 2022 were stalled by another fire that affected the Ijora Olopa section of the Eko flyover the previous month.

Speaking with Channels Television on Wednesday, Olukorede Kesha, federal controller of works in Lagos, said plans were in motion to ease the discomfort of motorists on the road and speed up the repairs.

“We had an extensive meeting today, so we all agreed that we will open the two bridges finally mid-July,” Kesha said.

“We are aware of the discomfort the motoring public is going through at the moment but they should just bear with the federal government. We are doing everything possible to ensure that the contractor finishes on or before July 15.”