By Onyeanya Ebere Immaculata
The Federal Ministry of Works has announced urgent repairs on the damaged Benin-bound deck of the Shagamu-Benin carriageway, with assurances that a permanent fix will be delivered within 45 days once concrete work is completed.
In a statement on Tuesday, Uchenna Orji, Special Adviser (Media), to the Minister of Works, David Umahi, said engineers had been deployed to the site at the Edo-Ondo border, where the bridge, built in 1981, recently developed a puncture on one of its five spans.
The ministry attributed the damage to age-related deterioration, heavy traffic, and environmental stress.
Umahi directed that both affected sections in Edo and Ondo States undergo full deck reconstruction using modern engineering technology.
While repairs are underway, one carriageway will remain open under the supervision of the Federal Road Safety Corps to ease traffic disruptions.
“The damaged section will be fully rehabilitated, and vehicular movement will resume after the concrete matures within 45 days,” the ministry assured.
The minister apologised to motorists for the inconvenience, noting that the intervention is part of the Federal Government’s broader Renewed Hope road infrastructure programme.
He revealed that over 30 bridges nationwide have been earmarked for rehabilitation in 2025.
Umahi also acknowledged the content creator who first raised the alarm about the damage, thanking him for drawing attention to the issue and urging Nigerians to support government’s efforts to renew critical infrastructure.
He reaffirmed President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to transforming the transport sector, describing the Renewed Hope legacy projects as vital to economic growth, improved connectivity, and national development.
