‘Niger Bridge can collapse sooner than envisaged’

Onitsha (Anambra) – Dr Tim Anosike, the President of
Onitsha Chamber of Commerce, on Friday warned that
the Niger Bridge might collapse sooner than envisaged
by its designers and engineers.
He made the observation when he spoke in Onitsha,
Anambra.
Anosike said that the bridge was being overburdened by
the daily traffic gridlocks and had to carry tens of trucks
with goods of thousands tonnage each day.
He said that the commencement of the second Niger
Bridge was overdue considering the increase in vehicular
movement on the bridge in the past five years.
“This chamber will never cease crying to the Federal
Government until the construction of the second Niger
Bridge is achieved.
“Without this project, the entire life and economic
activities of the people in this part of our country are
hanging on the balance as the existing bridge can
collapse sooner than envisaged.
“We have thought that the critical nature of the project
is not something to toy with.
“But very sadly, it has become a strategic weapon for
political campaign in the hands of our politicians since
time immemorial,’’ he said.
The Federal Government had awarded the construction
of the bridge to Julius Berger, but work is yet to start.
(NAN)