The Lagos State Government has reopened the ever-busy Pedestrian Bridge at Alapere/Estate Bus Stop on the Third Axial Road after completion of work on the damaged bridge by the contractor, just as the government said that access was granted to pedestrians for safety reasons.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Infrastructure, Engr. Olufemi Daramola, who made this known today, said the Sanwo-Olu administration places a high premium on the safety of lives and, therefore, Mr. Governor has directed the immediate reopening of the bridge for Public Use.
After an inspection of the completed bridge by a team comprising Lagos State Government Officials from the Office of Infrastructure and the Contractors was carried out to determine its fitness for public use, the Special Adviser said Mr. Governor directed that the infrastructure should immediately be made accessible to the public before official handover and commissioning to reduce the risk of accidents on pedestrians who cross the expressway.
While urging pedestrians and commuters to see the gesture of the Governor as responsive and timely, Engr. Daramola said, “In the interim, we have opened the Bridge for pedestrian use considering safety implications while we await the formal handover by Mr. Governor”.
“This is commendable as the administration of Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu is a responsive one and would leave no stone unturned to ensure the safety of all residents in the State”, he added.
Also commenting on the reopened Alapere Bridge, the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso said, aside from showing the responsiveness of Mr. Governor, the gesture is a display of the Lagos State Government’s commitment to providing modern and sturdy infrastructure that will facilitate easy movement of people, goods and materials.
Recall that the damage to the bridge, which was constructed 11 years ago, was caused by the impact of a container-laden truck that manoeuvred under it bearing a load that was far beyond the headroom of the Bridge.
