The Federal Government will shut down the Ijora Bridge in Lagos starting April 27 to carry out repair work. This decision was announced during an inspection of the bridge by the Federal Controller of Works in Lagos, Olukorede Kesha, on Monday.
The Ijora Bridge, which links Ijora Causeway to Apapa, has been in use for many years and is now showing serious signs of wear. The main issue is with the bearings underneath the bridge deck. These bearings act like support springs, and many of them have become weak over time. Nearly 50 of them are set to be replaced during this round of repairs.
This upcoming repair marks the final phase of a long-running effort to fix the bridge. Unlike previous work done in parts, this time the whole bridge deck will be lifted to reach and replace the damaged parts underneath. This process cannot be done while the bridge remains open, so a total closure has been scheduled.
The Ijora Bridge is an important link to the Apapa area, which holds two of Nigeria’s busiest ports—Tincan and Apapa Ports. Because of this, the closure is expected to affect traffic flow and movement in and out of the area. However, alternate routes have already been planned to help reduce delays. Motorists heading to Ijora will be directed through the Seven Up Roundabout, while trucks and other heavy vehicles will take a longer route through Costain and Iganmu to reach Apapa.
Kesha said the Ministry of Works has looked into all possible ways to reduce the stress on road users during this time. She urged drivers and the general public to be patient and to follow the new routes until the work is done. She also addressed concerns from people who have noticed strong vibrations while driving on the bridge. She said that while the bridge will not collapse, it is clearly in need of urgent repair.
This is the first time major work will be done on the Ijora Bridge since it was built many decades ago. After the bearings are replaced and the bridge deck is lifted, further repairs like asphalt replacement may follow. Those later stages may be done bit by bit, possibly on Sundays, so that they do not cause too much traffic build-up.
The government is asking for full cooperation from the public to complete the project quickly and make the bridge safer for all road users.
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