The First Niger Bridge in Onitsha will be shut from September 7 to 21 for emergency repairs, with motorists directed to use the Second Niger Bridge through Obosi and Asaba during the closure.
A truck drives through the Onitsha Bridge in Onitsha, Nigeria, on February 28, 2023. (Photo by Patrick Meinhardt / AFP)
The Anambra State Government has announced the temporary closure of the First Niger Bridge to traffic.
It said that the closure would be from September 7 to 21, 2026, to facilitate emergency maintenance and rehabilitation works by the Federal Ministry of Works aimed at restoring the bridge to a safer and more durable condition.
The government explained that the rehabilitation, which is expected to last two weeks, has become necessary due to the deteriorating condition of the bridge’s carriageway and the destruction of some of its components.
Motorists have been advised to use the Second Niger Bridge through Obosi towards Asaba, Delta State, as an alternative route during the maintenance period.
“The Managing Director of the agency, Mr. Emeka Okonkwo, has urged motorists to obey temporary road signs and diversion instructions, exercise caution around construction zones and cooperate with traffic-management personnel to ensure safe and orderly movement throughout the period,” the Anambra Road Traffic Management Agency (ARTMA), in a statement, said.
The agency said that the intervention would restore the bridge to a safer and more durable condition while minimising traffic disruption.
The planned rehabilitation is expected to address the immediate challenges affecting the bridge and support safer movement for motorists once the works are completed.
