The federal government has directed the immediate closure of a part of the Keffi bridge due to a partial collapse caused by beams knocked down.

Minister of Works David Umahi made this known while reacting to the damage caused to the bridge by a heavy-duty vehicle on Thursday in Abuja.

The closure was necessitated by the damage caused by a vehicle on part of the bridge.

Mr Umahi confirmed that the affected carriageway would be shut down to prevent further damage and to ensure public safety.

“We have directed the shutdown of the Keffi bridge. But the shutdown is definitely the first carriageway that was directly impacted by the excavator.

“We are sending senior technical officers to work with the controller of that location, and then we will check for the second carriageway.

“If the beams of the second carriageway are affected, then the entire bridge will be shut down, and then it becomes an emergency situation,” the minister stated.

Mr Umahi explained that the ministry will come up with a design immediately and then look for a contractor who is versed in the required knowledge.

The minister emphasised the importance of adhering to codes and standards in bridge design and construction, citing the 5.6-metre headroom standard for flyovers.

He attributed bridge collapses to direct violations of traffic codes, specifically the use of high-bed trucks that exceed the standard headroom.

The minister noted that some bridges have been damaged due to these violations, resulting in significant disruptions to traffic and economic activities.

Mr Umahi said that to mitigate the issues, there was a need to adopt a minimum headroom of 6.5 metres for flyovers to accommodate taller vehicles.

He said the ministry would henceforth start installing heavy metal gateways to detect and prevent overheight vehicles from accessing bridges.

Earlier, the ministry’s permanent secretary, Olofunsho Adebiyi, explained that the ministry received a report of a heavy-duty vehicle carrying an excavator that damaged the bridge.

Mr Adebiyi said the excavator was carrying out a cut through the bridge and heading onto the beam, thereby totally dislocating and weakening the entire structure.

He said it broke the slab and went ahead to bring down a section of the beam.

“It has totally distorted and affected the structural integrity of the entire structure there.

“The public cannot be allowed to continue to do things to destroy our expensive infrastructure,” he said.

(NAN)