The maintenance work on the First River Niger Bridge in Onitsha, Anambra State, has suffered a setback following constant heavy rainfall across the state over the past one week.
The development has forced the extension of the maintenance exercise by one week, as contractors require a period of dry weather to continue and complete the work.
Recall that the River Niger Bridge was temporarily closed by the Federal Government to allow maintenance work to be carried out on the old bridge. The exercise was initially scheduled to last for two weeks.
Before the extension, the contractor had raised concerns over poor lighting and sanitation along the bridge.
According to the contractor, inadequate lighting had affected night operations, as the security of workers and the safety of materials could not be guaranteed.
Our correspondent, who visited the bridge this morning amid heavy rainfall across the state, observed that workers were not at the site. It was also discovered that some sections of the bridge that had already received attention had been affected by the persistent rainfall.
The Anambra State Controller of Works, Engr. Timothy Emenike, who spoke to reporters in Onitsha, explained that, following the impact of the rainfall on the project, the contractor would require at least three consecutive dry days for work to resume.
He added that, in view of the circumstances, the completion date for the maintenance work had been extended by one week, subject to favourable weather conditions.
.“We have actually done a lot of work on most portions of the bridge, but with the constant heavy rains for almost one week, some areas have been affected and need at least three dry days for us to return to site.
“So, in view of what is on the ground, we have extended the date for the completion of the project by one week, depending on the weather. For now, we pray that we shall have three dry days for us to return to site,” he said.
Emenike, however, disclosed that once the maintenance work on the bridge is completed, the Minister of Works, Engr. Dave Umahi, would undertake another inspection of the project to assess the work and give approval for the reopening of the bridge.
He also announced that the lighting challenges affecting night operations had been addressed, while the sanitation issues around the bridge had also been resolved.
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