THE Federal Government has officially reopened the Independence Bridge in Lagos after the severe traffic repair work on the site on Wednesday night.

The Minister of Works, David Umahi, reportedly oversaw the reopening on Friday, April 4.

He said the initial closure of the bridge was prompted by a structural failure involving the approach slab of the bridge, which caved in due to a faulty design.

The ICIR reported that the Independence Bridge closure caused severe traffic congestion on Wednesday and Thursday morning due to ongoing repair work on the site.

Its closure was to allow for essential repairs. However Lagosians were left stranded, resulting in poor management of traffic.

As a result, the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu had to render a public apology to Lagosians, assuring of adequate deployment of road traffic officers and proper management of the road.

On March 16, the Lagos state government announced the shutdown of the Independence/Mekwen Bridge (inbound Marina/CMS route) for two months to allow emergency repairs, The ICIR earlier reported.

Commenting on the reopening, the minister explained that the initial construction of the approach slab was done as a cantilever, which was structurally inappropriate.

“It’s not supposed to be a cantilever. What we had was a free-standing approach slab, which is incorrect. Every approach slab must have at least one end fixed,” Umahi explained.

He said the slab failed when the sand fill beneath it leaked, compromising the structure and posing a serious risk to commuters.

He admitted that proper procedures were not followed in announcing the closure.

“The mistake that the controller, Olukorede Kesha, made was that she did not notify us. We also didn’t adequately inform Lagosians of the alternative routes,” Umahi said.

Commenting on plans to avert future occurrences; the minister disclosed that the government plans to introduce a standardised national procedure for road and bridge closures.

“Going forward, no road or bridge in Nigeria will be closed without a clearly defined process. Controllers must submit drone surveys, state the nature of the technical problem and solution, propose alternative routes, and publish this information to the public,” Umahi maintained.

He hinted at the government’s plan to redesign the project as a one-span bridge, stressing it will eliminate the lateral head pressure on the abutment and address unknown factors such as piling depth.

He noted that the Third Mainland, Carter, and Iddo bridges, held by skin-friction piling, depend on the surrounding sand for stability.

“Any scouring or sand excavation puts the piles at risk,” he said, noting that ongoing studies will guide further reinforcement work,” he said.

He added that more permanent works are to commence on the site in three weeks, once the integrity of underground pipes is verified.

Umahi said that going forward, the road works would be split into two phases, with each phase lasting about 21 days, even as some construction schedules would be carried out exclusively on weekends or at night.

“This is not just about engineering; it’s about communication, safety, and accountability. We owe it to Nigerians to do better,” the minister stated.