Umahi To Rebuild Enugu Collapsed Artisan Bridge With Concrete Technology 

By AKOR SYLVESTER-Abuja

Federal government has assured of rebuilding the collapsed new Artisan Bridge located at km 0+800 Enugu – Port Harcourt Expressway between New Artisan flyover /NNPC Mega Station in Enugu State.

Minister of Works, Engr David Umahi who stated this when he visited the site of the collapsed artisan bridge at the weekend said the collapsed bridge has been of critical use to the Socio-Economic growth of the entire South East Region, particularly those commuters within and outside the Enugu State environ.

He said the affected Bridge which was constructed in the late 1970’s is located on a subsisting project (Rehabilitation of Enugu – Portt-harcourt Expressway Section III: Enugu – Lokpanta in Enugu State. Contract No.6251) adding that the project is still ongoing.

Umahi said the decision to redesign and re-construct the failed road to avert future occurrences and loss of lives, came when a team of Engineers visited the location to fine out the reason for the collapse.

The Minister assured the state that the Federal Government is doing everything humanly possible to reconstruct the bridge with better quality local content materials, saying the technology had been tested and can stand the test of time of long period of usage and longevity of up to Fifty (50) years with no maintenance..

He noted that Concrete Technology is what is being advocated for use for Nigerian Roads and bridges with such already pioneer  construction both in the Apapa- Oshodi road, the Lekki-Ajah free trade Zone area in Lagos state.

According to him, experience has proved that concrete technology used in Ebonyi and recently in Cross River state by the Governor, Sen Bassey Otu are

the right way to go in Nigeria.

In a statement by Lere-Adams Blessing, Director Information at the federal ministry of works, the Governor of Enugu state, Peter Mba, earlier expressed sincere appreciation to  President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the immediate response  to access the collapsed bridge situation with the visit of the Minister of Works,