Motorists, commuters fear collapse of Southeast Bridge

Motorists and commuters using the Aba-Owerri Expressway in the Southeastern part of Nigeria have raised alarm over the state of the famous Owerrenta Bridge which connects Imo and its neighbouring Abia State.

Some of the road users and drivers who spoke to our reporter over the state of the bridge which has lasted for over 50 years said it has become necessary that the Federal Ministry of Works and Minister of Works, Housing and Power, Babatunde Fashola to carry out major repairs on the Owerrenta Bridge following the recent vibration noticed on the bridge.

The respondents who lamented lack of maintenance on the bridge for over thirty years expressed worries that if nothing urgent were done to address the vibration noticed on the bridge, it might one day collapse into the Imo River part of Owerri-Aba Expressway.

The commuters also used the opportunity to call on the authorities of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) and the Owerrenta Naval School of Finance and Logistics to consider relocating their personnel out of the bridge which they use as checkpoint and stop and search.

According to Mr. Frank Okpe “the Owerrenta Bridge was built immediately after the Nigeria-Biafra Civil war and since that time, I can’t remember the time we saw any person or engineers working on this bridge.

“This bridge is as important to us in the East and Aba in particular as other bridges in the country is to their respective states and areas. The number of vehicles crossing this bridge to bring in goods from other parts of the country to Aba is uncountable.

“It calls for frequent repairs on the bridge because if the bridge collapses, all the trucks moving in goods from Onitsha and Lagos will no longer be able to bring in goods into Aba. And some of the people from Owerri and other parts of the country who go to Aba to buy one or two items may not be able to do so.

“The economic importance of this bridge to the southeast cannot be overemphasized and it must be addressed urgently by the respective ministry and authority.”

Another regular road of Owerri-Aba Expressway simply identified as Madu Ofor said “FRSC and Navy people should tell their people to relocate out of the bridge. Stopping and searching cars on the bridge in its present state is not the best. We are sounding this note of warning before something dangerous happens and government shouldn’t allow the blood of its citizens to be spilled on the bridge before something urgent would be done.

“We are only asking them to come and carry thorough assessment on the bridge and repair the places that should be repaired. We are not asking them to come and build a fresh one. Carrying out routine maintenance on the bridge is not only cheap, but will also save the lives of innocent and hardworking citizens from being wasted when it can be secured.

“This is festive period where so many goods and services have started coming into the city of Aba and many people visiting the state for one economic activity or the other. The Owerrenta Bridge is as important to us as other roads in the southeast is to other southeast states, but I think that priority should be accorded to the bridge because of its economic importance to the people of the zone.”