FG to Repair Expansion Joints of Leventis Bridge in Apapa

The Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing has said it would rehabilitate the widening expansion joints of the ApapaLeventis Bridge now that it has been reopened to vehicular traffic.

The ministry reopened the outward bound stretch of the Leventis Bridge in Apapa last Wednesday, after it was closed for about eight months for repairs.

The reopening of the bridge is expected to reduce the congested traffic in and out of Apapa through that axis, the Director, Highways South West, Federal Ministry of Power,

Works and Housing, Funsho Adebiyi, who declared open that stretch of the bridge, said.

“Hopefully, the gridlock will end today.

When we started construction works about eight months ago, the gridlock became a source of concern for everybody, and we appreciated the inconvenience associated with it but by the grace of God, the gridlock should end today (on Wednesday) as this section will be open so we can have the two-way traffic,” he said.

That section of the bridge was shut for repairs after an unfortunate fire caused by illegal occupants of its underbelly weakened the slabs at the Leventis end of the bridge, according to Adebiyi.

“Some of our citizens live under the bridge illegally and carryout a lot of commercial activities and they do sales of petroleum products, and in the process, there was fire outbreak which became so severe that it affected the structural integrity of this bridge and a section started failing,” the director said.

He appealed to those doing business under the bridge to relocate and that the appropriate law enforcement agencies would be contacted to enforce their evacuation and that barricades would be built to prevent reoccurrence of the unfortunate incidence.