The federal government has confirmed that the Second Niger Bridge project has now been completed and would soon be open for use by the general public.
The priority project, which links Anambra State with Delta State, is one of the major projects being executed by the federal government with assistance from the Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund (PIDF).
The confirmation was made on Wednesday by the minister of works and housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola, at a ministerial press briefing organised to present President Muhammadu Buhari’s scorecard in Abuja.
The minister said with the Second Niger Bridge people can now walk through the bridge unimpeded, noting that what remains to be completed is the 4-kilometre link road on the Asaba side.
Fashola noted that the only factor delaying the commissioning of the road is the construction of the link road. Unfortunately, the current flooding in the area has hampered efforts to finish the road project.
He said, “I can confirm that the second Niger Bridge itself is finished. People can walk through the bridge now unimpeded. What remains is the four-kilometre link road on the Asaba side.
“Right now, our dredger is in place, we have to rebuild the road by reclaiming sand, the recent surge of flood has slowed us down. On the Onitsha side, there is a 7-kilometre road that links the bridge and the Onitsha-Owerri interchange.”
The bridge, which was conceived years ago before the Buhari administration, became a reality following the decision of the federal government to ensure that a new bridge is put in place to complement the existing one.
