Lagos govt shuts Alapere pedestrian bridge for emergency repair

Alapere Pedestrian Bridge has been temporarily closed by the Lagos State Government due to urgent remedial repairs needed after it was harmed by an articulated vehicle.

The Lagos State Ministry of Works and Infrastructure intervened after a popular video showed cracks on numerous bridge sections.

According to a statement from the ministry's spokesman, Shina Odunuga, the bridge has been good, safe, and helpful for more than 15 years before the recent terrible incident.

He claims that in order to determine the degree of the infrastructure damage, a team of Lagos State Government representatives from the public works corporation and the ministry of Works and Infrastructure undertook a joint inspection.

In the interest of public safety, the committee headed by Mr. Olufemi Daramola, Permanent Secretary, Office of Infrastructure, agreed to temporarily close the bridge, according to Odunuga.

He claimed that the delegation evaluated the problem, carried out tests, and started making repairs right away.

“According to eyewitness accounts, the damage to the bridge occurred when an articulated low-bed truck attempted to navigate the bridge while carrying heavy-duty equipment that exceeded the provided standard design headroom of 5.4 meters.

“At this juncture, the incident brings to mind similar occurrences at Alakija-Trade Fair and Apapa/Oshodi within the past year.

“Public infrastructure is being negatively impacted due to the recklessness of road transporters who fail to adhere to international best practices while driving articulated vehicles,” he said.

After it was damaged by an articulated vehicle, the Lagos government temporarily shutters the Alapere Pedestrian Bridge for immediate corrective repairs.

The Lagos government has closed the Alapere Pedestrian Bridge for emergency corrective repairs after an articulated vehicle caused damage to it.

Given the state government's limited finances, Odunuga continued by stating that the Alapere Pedestrian Bridge was the third bridge to be broken in a short period of time, creating difficulties for the development of infrastructure.

Investigations showed that the damage could be easily managed, he claimed, therefore ongoing corrective work already started would ensure that the infrastructure was quickly reopened.

As part of the government's commitment to ongoing civic involvement, he said, the bridge would be closely monitored and the public would receive prompt information on its condition.

According to Odunuga, the state government would constantly look into practical safety measures, such as installing cutting-edge sensor technology, to reduce potential dangers in keeping with its commitment to ensuring road safety.

Source