By LYDIA CHIGOZIE-NGWAKWE

The Federal Government on Wednesday declared permanent, repairs carried out on Independence Bridge in Lagos, assuring the state residents that the structure had become safe and stable.

The Minister of Works, Sen. Dave Umahi, gave the assurance when he inspected the bridge on Wednesday.

He noted that the inspection took place three weeks after re-opening of the bridge on April 5.

He expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the repairs, saying that inspections conducted by the controller of works in Lagos and Buildwell, the contractor handling the project, showed no deflection in the repaired section.

He said: ?We are here exactly three weeks later, as promised. The controller of works and Buildwell have confirmed no single deflection, and I can attest to that.

?Therefore, I declare that the work we did, through God?s grace and wisdom, is now permanent,?

He acknowledged that the bridge?s carriageways would still require re-surfacing, adding that the task had been included in the contract with Buildwell.

The minister thanked President Bola Tinubu for prompt directive to address the bridge?s failure.

He noted that the failure caused significant hardship on Lagos residents.

Umahi also thanked Lagos State Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu for support, as well as HITECH Construction Company and Lagos State Ministry of Works personnel for their contributions.

He apologised to Lagos residents for the sudden closure of the bridge, attributing it to total failure of the return wall.

He explained that the problem was caused by a broken slab connecting the abutments and the road, leading to sand leakage between structural elements.

?Our mistake was not communicating effectively enough. The discovery of the hole and sand leakage left us with no choice but to close the bridge,? he said.

He highlighted the importance of regular bridge inspections, emphasising that many bridges in Lagos had become old and had suffered neglect.

He praised Tinubu for prioritising infrastructure maintenance.

?The lesson we have learnt is to constantly inspect these old bridges, which have not received adequate maintenance until President Tinubu came into office.

?He is giving the works sector serious attention.

?We also learnt the importance of keeping Lagosians informed during such projects,? Umahi said. (NAN)

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