The Lagos State Government says it has temporarily closed Alapere Pedestrian Bridge which was damaged by a vehicle, and began immediate remedial works on sections that need urgent attention.

This was revealed in a statement by the Spokesman, Lagos Ministry of Works and Infrastructure, Mr Shina Odunuga, who noted that the swift intervention was prompted by a viral video revealing cracks on various sections of the bridge.

 Odunuga said the bridge had been good, safe and useful for well over 15 years until the current unfortunate event.

 He revealed that a team of Lagos State Government officials from the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure and the public works corporation conducted a joint inspection to assess the extent of damage to the infrastructure.

Odunuga stated that the team led by the Permanent Secretary, Office of Infrastructure, Mr Olufemi Daramola, decided to temporarily close the bridge in the interest of public safety.

“According to eyewitness accounts, the damage to the bridge occurred when an articulated low-bed truck attempted to navigate the bridge while carrying heavy-duty equipment that exceeded the provided standard design headroom of 5.4 meters.

“At this juncture, the incident brings to mind similar occurrences at Alakija-Trade Fair and Apapa/Oshodi within the past year.

“Public infrastructure is being negatively impacted due to the recklessness of road transporters who fail to adhere to international best practices while driving articulated vehicles,” he said.

Odunuga added that the Alapere Pedestrian Bridge was the third bridge damaged within a short period, thereby, posing challenges to infrastructural growth, given the limited resources of the state government.

He said investigations revealed that the damage could be quickly managed, hence ongoing remedial works already initiated would ensure prompt reopening of the infrastructure.

The Secretary stressed that the bridge would be placed under close observation and updates on its status would be communicated promptly to the public, as part of the government’s commitment to continued civic engagement.