Saving our bridges from collapse

THE Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, has raised the alarm that gridlocks created by tankers, including other articulated vehicles on bridges in Lagos and other major cities are dangerous and capable of damaging them. The Lagos State Sector Commander, Mr Hyginus Omeje, harped on the need to preserve the bridges to last longer.  For years, intractable traffic lockdowns have bedevilled the Apapa axis of Lagos. The impact of the congestion is weakening the bridges daily.

Stationary vehicles left on the bridges over long periods predispose them to quicker pace of deterioration, fatigue and the danger of outright collapse.   This threat  exists in other parts of the county. Recently, Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, inspected the repair of a collapsed major bridge along the Abuja-Lokoja road which disrupted distribution of petroleum products and other essential goods across the country. Large concentrations of bridges and the existence of the busiest seaports and tank farms in the country make the Lagos situation peculiar.   The infrastructure attracts articulated vehicles, trucks and tankers into the metropolis from all over the federation.

Their presence on the roads complicates the traffic situation and sometimes leads to lawlessness as recently witnessed in Apapa where a life was lost and two banks set ablaze by a mob over unruly parking by drivers of these heavy trucks.

There is a need to quickly address the situation to save the bridges from total collapse. The Third Mainland, Carter, Eko, Apapa Bridges and others across the country require huge financial resources to repair when  structural defects are detected. Besides, the collapse of any bridge will bring the entire Lagos metropolis to a standstill, perhaps for years. This we must prevent.

Unravelling the gridlocks goes beyond rather feeble traffic-control efforts alone. There is a need to fix the drainages and  bad roads in the area. The Federal and Lagos State Governments must demonstrate the political will to relocate the tank farms and remove these heavy vehicles from the roads and bridges.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) the Federal Government signed with three companies namely, Dangote Group, Flour Mills Nigeria PLC and the Nigerian Ports Authority to restore access roads to the Apapa ports should be hastened.

These three good corporate citizens should also be encouraged in their Corporate Social Responsibility (CRS) efforts which will help make the road network in the area more motorable.

We urge the FRSC, Police and Lagos Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) to deploy and intensify special traffic control strategies in Apapa in order to ease the unending gridlocks. We must unclog the main arteries to our non-oil economic zones and remove anything that would harm the nation’s critical infrastructure such as bridges and roads.

The post Saving our bridges from collapse appeared first on Vanguard News.