Rain Delays Reopening Of First Niger Bridge By One Week

The planned reopening of the First Niger Bridge linking Onitsha, Anambra State, and Asaba, Delta State, has been postponed by one week following persistent rainfall that disrupted ongoing rehabilitation works.

The bridge, which was shut to traffic on September 7 for two weeks, was originally scheduled to reopen Monday, September 21, 2026.

However, when Daily Insider visited the bridge on Monday amid heavy rainfall, it remained barricaded, with construction equipment, including caterpillars, stationed on the facility. Workers were also seen carrying out maintenance activities.

The Acting Federal Controller of Works, Anambra State Field Headquarters, Timothy Emenike, confirmed the extension, saying the contractor needed at least three consecutive dry days to resume some aspects of the work affected by the rains.

“We have actually done a lot of work on most portions of the bridge, but with the constant heavy rains for almost one week, some areas have been affected and need at least three dry days for us to return to site,” Emenike said.

He added that the completion date had been extended by one week, subject to favourable weather conditions.

According to him, lighting challenges affecting night operations had been addressed, while security concerns around the bridge had also been resolved.

Emenike said the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, would inspect the bridge after completion before approving its reopening.

A site engineer, who spoke anonymously, said the vandalised bolts and nuts had been replaced and work had reached the asphalt stage, but rainfall had caused significant downtime.

He said each day of rainfall could delay the work by two days or more and had also affected the delivery of materials, particularly asphalt.

The closure was ordered to enable emergency repairs, including replacement of vandalised railings, bolts and nuts, portions of expansion-joint steelwork and stanchion/steel truss nuts, as well as installation of CCTV cameras and other improvements.

Meanwhile, the closure has continued to cause hardship for commuters and motorists using alternative routes.

Motorists from the Asaba axis faced heavy delays while diverting through the Onitsha-Owerri Road and other alternative routes, with some commuters trekking and others resorting to commercial boats.

A motorist, Uchenna Orji, said the poor condition of alternative roads had worsened the hardship caused by the closure.

Another commuter, Nkiruka Ozo, said journeys that ordinarily took less than 45 minutes now lasted more than three hours, while transportation fares had more than tripled.

She urged the authorities to expedite the rehabilitation and reopen the bridge as soon as possible.