Contractor completes work on Apapa marine beach bridge

Rehabilitation works on the Apapa Marine Beach Bridge has been completed and is now ready for use, the project contractor and the supervising engineer told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

Mr Ghassan Kaadi of Buildwell Plants and Equipment Industries Ltd, the project contractor, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday that rehabilitation works on the bridge has been completed.

Construction materials and equipment have been moved out of the project yard under the bridge in Apapa.

“We completed work on the bridge and opened it to traffic in November and we moved out of site first week of December, 2017.

“The portion we worked on is very good and strong. The Marine Beach Bridge is now stable and safe for use. The Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing () is coming next week to inspect the bridge,’’ Kaadi said.

Also, Mrs Bola Suleiman, FMPWH engineer supervising the project, had also told NAN that the work on the bridge has been completed.

Suleiman added that “the contractor has demobilised from site’’ after completing the project.

He gave the assurance that the bridge was safe and strong for use.

NAN reports that the Marine Beach Bridge was damaged by fire about 11 years ago but contract for repair of the bridge was awarded in 2012.

However, due to paucity of funds, the contractor abandoned site.

A portion of the bridge caved in exposing iron roads on the bridge in August, 2016 raising fears of collapse.

The Minister of PWH, Mr Babatunde Fashola, inspected the bridge and re-award contract for its repair.

The Marine Beach Bridge was captured in the 2017 budget and the contractor on the project moved to site on March 5, 2017 resulting in partial closure of the bridge for repairs.