LIVE UPDATES
The federal government has revealed plans to install gantries on flyovers to mitigate damage from overloaded trucks and vehicles that ignore safety regulations.
At a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday, the Minister of Works, David Umahi, stated that this initiative aims to protect the country’s road infrastructure.
He emphasized that this is part of a wider effort to address the issue of overloaded trucks that are inflicting structural damage to bridges and flyovers nationwide.
The announcement follows a recent event at the Keffi flyover, where a container truck exceeded the maximum clearance height and caused considerable damage.
Umahi expressed the government's concern regarding the increasing number of overloaded trucks compromising bridges, roads, and flyovers, which poses significant risks to public safety and the durability of infrastructure.
“We are facing challenges with heavy trucks exceeding permitted heights at our flyovers. There are several such instances between the Lagos and Ibadan bridges, constructed during the last administration.
Some have suffered damage, causing structural beams, which are crucial for bearing vehicular loads, to fail. Where beams are absent, safety is compromised. For some bridges, we have restricted vehicular access, and this situation is alarming.”
He noted the difficulty in managing the problem of overloaded vehicles and overcrowded commuters.
“So, we have decided to install a gantry before and after each flyover. Instead of adhering to the mandatory engineering standard of 5.6 meters for headroom, we are increasing it to 6.5 meters,” explained the minister.
He added that this initiative aims to account for undisciplined commuters and that the gantries would be 6 cm lower than the lowest point of every beam in each flyover.
“We will also install spikes that will prevent overheight loads from damaging our beams. If a vehicle’s load is too high, the spikes will stop it first, effectively lowering the excess load and ensuring the safety of the bridges. Instead of excavating the pavement to raise the headroom, we opted for this solution,” he remarked.
Umahi indicated that the gantry installation would commence with the Keffi bridge and subsequently extend to other routes.
He assured Nigerians that the Third Mainland Bridge is safe for light vehicles but unsafe for heavy ones, leading to a ban on heavy vehicle traffic.
He mentioned that issues concerning the Carter Bridge would be addressed by President Bola Tinubu once the ministry's memorandum is finalized.
Furthermore, he stated that efforts are underway to repair the Toto bridge, which was damaged during the previous administration.
A contract was awarded to Julius Berger in 2023 to undertake repairs costing N5 billion.
“They found that the bridge was no longer safe due to structural damage caused by fire during the last administration. We assessed the situation and engaged Julius Berger to remove three spans of the Ido Bridge, which will be executed soon.
The height of the bridge is also a concern as it is below five meters, and the commuters have exceeded the headroom limit.
Due to the nearby lagoon, we plan to excavate that section to meet the required 5.6 meters, and once completed, we will install a gantry to safeguard the bridge,” Umahi stated.
He also addressed concerns regarding cracks on the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, assuring Nigerians that these were not due to structural failure but rather an incomplete section of the road that will be addressed soon.
