A budget worth nearly US$252 million will help pay for bridge design and construction work as well as bridge repair activities in 12 states across Nigeria. The budget has been approved by Nigeria’s Federal Executive Council (FEC). Meanwhile $475 million is being budgeted for the engineering and consultancy work required for the Second Niger Bridge that will connect the city of Asaba in Delta State with Onitsha in Anambra State. The new bridge is desperately required as the existing structure is in poor condition and no longer able to cope with the traffic volumes it has to carry. This funding will also help to pay for the link roads in Delta State and Anambra State connecting with the new bridge. The new bridge has been envisaged as having three traffic lanes in either direction as well as a rail connection.
The history of the Niger Bridge crossing between Asaba and Onitsha is of note as work on the link was completed in 1965 by a French contractor but it was then blown up by the retreating Biafran Army in a bid to delay the advancing Nigerian Army during the Nigerian/Biafran civil war of 1967-1970. After the cessation of hostilities, the damaged section of the bridge was repaired and the crossing was put back into service. In more recent years a number of further repairs were carried out but the two lane structure still has technical issues. It is also too narrow for the number of vehicles it has to carry, with delays occurring at peak periods as drivers often have to queue to cross. Onitsha is an important commercial centre in Nigeria and is also a major transport hub, so the traffic across the Niger River at this point has been growing steadily in recent years. The need for the new bridge was identified some years ago but the project to build the structure has been long delayed due to the complexities of funding the project and also land acquisition from private hands.
The history of the Niger Bridge crossing between Asaba and Onitsha is of note as work on the link was completed in 1965 by a French contractor but it was then blown up by the retreating Biafran Army in a bid to delay the advancing Nigerian Army during the Nigerian/Biafran civil war of 1967-1970. After the cessation of hostilities, the damaged section of the bridge was repaired and the crossing was put back into service. In more recent years a number of further repairs were carried out but the two lane structure still has technical issues. It is also too narrow for the number of vehicles it has to carry, with delays occurring at peak periods as drivers often have to queue to cross. Onitsha is an important commercial centre in Nigeria and is also a major transport hub, so the traffic across the Niger River at this point has been growing steadily in recent years. The need for the new bridge was identified some years ago but the project to build the structure has been long delayed due to the complexities of funding the project and also land acquisition from private hands.
