APC campaign posters and banners displayed along the First Niger Bridge ahead of its reopening on Thursday. Photo: Ikenna Obianeri
The First Niger Bridge linking Anambra and Delta states has been decorated with pictures of President Bola Tinubu and Vice-President Kashim Shettima ahead of its reopening on Thursday after weeks of rehabilitation works.
The Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, is expected to reopen the bridge, which connects Onitsha in Anambra State to Asaba in Delta State.
PUNCH Online observed on Thursday that rehabilitation works had been completed, while photographs of Tinubu and Shettima were displayed along the bridge.
Some of the captions beneath the photographs read, “A road under strain before… To a road built for progress”, “From challenges to prosperity” and “Hope connecting regions… let the good works continue”.
All Progressives Congress campaign posters and banners were also seen at strategic sections of the bridge.
Although some of the railings had been repainted, painters were still carrying out finishing touches at some sections.
The road markings had also been repainted, while CCTV cameras, bolts and expansion joints had been installed or fixed.
Umahi had, during an inspection of the bridge weeks earlier, directed that Tinubu’s pictures be displayed to appreciate the President for what he described as his contributions to the South-East.
“Once we are done with works on this bridge, I want all the illegal adverts on this bridge removed. For now, the bridge will be decorated with the pictures of President Tinubu.
“The President has worked so hard and we need to reward his hard work by decorating this bridge with his pictures,” Umahi said.
Speaking with our correspondent on Thursday, the Federal Controller of Works, Timothy Emenike, said the minister was expected at the bridge to perform the reopening.
He said the major rehabilitation activities, including tarring, repainting the railings and fixing bolts and expansion joints, had been completed.
“The reopening is expected to provide relief to motorists and residents who had faced disruptions during the rehabilitation period when the bridge was closed,” Emenike said.
He added that the necessary infrastructure had been put in place to ensure the free flow of traffic and improve road safety.
The bridge was closed to traffic from September 7 to September 21 for emergency rehabilitation and maintenance after vandalised structural components, including expansion-joint steelwork, were discovered.
The reopening was delayed by persistent rainfall and other unforeseen circumstances, forcing the authorities to extend the closure beyond September 21.
Security personnel were deployed around the bridge on Thursday, with some sections of roads leading to it barricaded to control movement as dignitaries and residents awaited the minister’s arrival.