Bridge closure: Motorists groan as gridlock paralyses Apapa

Exporters lament $10bn loss to Apapa gridlock

 

Motorists plying heading into Apapa on Thursday were caught in a huge gridlock over the closure of a section of the Marine Bridge at Ijora.

The Marine Bridge is a major artery connecting Apapa and other parts of Lagos.

SHIPS & PORTS reported yesterday that the Federal Ministry of Works shut the Apapa-bound lane of the ever-busy bridge on Wednesday after it was damaged by vandals.

An Assistant Director of Federal Highways, Olukorede Keisha, said the vandalised section of the bridge caved in on Tuesday evening thus becoming dangerous for motorists.

However, some motorists including truckers plying the road blamed the government for creating the gridlock, as adequate alternative route arrangements were not made before the bridge was shut.

Venting his frustration after spending more than four hours to get into Apapa from Costain, a commuter said, “This is absolute chaos. It is a complete breakdown of governance at every level. The hole in the bridge, the trailers and tankers still parking on the distressed bridge and the lack of proper traffic supervision is a recipe for chaos. Where are the traffic officials? Where are the alternative roads provided for trucks and other motorists?”

A truck driver named Tunde Adewale said he and his colleagues were going through a lot of pains due to the closure of numerous roads in various parts of Lagos.

He said aside the gridlock as a result of the partial closure of Marine Bridge, he spends an average of five hours from Long Bridge on the Ibadan-Lagos Expressway to Apapa.

“This is very bad for our health. Mosquitoes feed on us. This job is so hard. It is because we don’t have a choice, that’s why we are still there. It is really frustrating,” Adewale said.

Another truck driver, Olasukanmi Awujoola said despite the gridlock, he and his colleagues are at the mercy of street urchins popularly called agbero, who extort money from them.