The Lagos State government says it has commenced repairs on the Alapere pedestrian bridge after facing initial delays.

Adeshina Odunuga, director, public affairs, Lagos State ministry of works and infrastructure, said this in a statement on Wednesday in Lagos.

A truck damaged the Alapere pedestrian bridge in December, forcing its closure for safety reasons.

Mr Odunuga said that investigations and repairs on the bridge faced delays due to holiday closures and a lack of initial access to construction companies.

“The Alapere pedestrian bridge, last December, was partially damaged as a result of a collision by an overloaded truck.

“The bridge was immediately closed and prevented from use as the extent of damage could not be ascertained .

“This incident unfortunately occurred when most construction companies that could have been invited to conduct preliminary investigations on the damaged bridge had closed for the year,” he said.

Mr Odunuga said that structural integrity tests were completed and a preliminary redesign for increased height had been done on the bridge.

According to him, the final design and construction will follow soon.

He said, “Structural integrity tests could therefore not be conducted on what was left of the collapsed bridge until the resumption of most of these companies at the beginning of this year.

“The result of the integrity tests was recently submitted, as was a preliminary structural redesign of the bridge that allows for an increased headroom of 5.8 metres to prevent any reoccurrence of such an incident in the future.

“The final design will be concluded shortly, and a nominated contractor will mobilise for the commencement of physical construction activities.”

To aid pedestrians, Mr Odunuga noted that the government had created a path through the median, rumble strips for slowing vehicles, and zebra crossings.

He added that officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), had also been stationed at the locations to assist with crossing.

He emphasised the government’s priority for people’s safety and infrastructure repairs.

He stressed the government’s commitment to providing sustainable development and responsible use of public funds.

The works director also emphasised that the government would prosecute and hold responsible truck owners liable for future damage to critical infrastructure.

Furthermore, he said that work had begun on replacing worn-out expansion joints on other bridges across the state.

Mr Odunuga therefore sought public understanding and cooperation for smooth traffic flow during repairs.

(NAN)