Nigeria’s Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, has announced urgent repairs on the Shagamu–Benin Bridge after engineers reported structural damage to part of the Benin-bound lane.
The bridge, which spans the border between Edo and Ondo States, was constructed in 1981 and has shown signs of deterioration on one of its five spans, according to a statement released on Tuesday by Umahi’s media adviser, Orji Uchenna Orji.
Umahi said the damage was the result of natural wear and tear after four decades of heavy traffic and exposure to weather conditions. “This one is over 40 years old, and the deck slab has aged,” he explained.
Repairs will involve closing the affected section for around 45 days to allow new concrete to set, while vehicles are diverted to the other carriageway. Traffic control will be managed by the Federal Road Safety Corps.
The minister apologised to motorists for the disruption but insisted the works were necessary to ensure safety. He recalled that similar repairs had been successfully carried out on another span of the same bridge.
Highlighting wider government plans, Umahi said more than 30 bridges nationwide would receive attention in 2025 under President Bola Tinubu’s infrastructure renewal programme, which aims to transform Nigeria’s transport network into a driver of economic growth.
