Sanwo-Olu explains delay in opening Ojota-Opebi Link Bridge

Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has explained why the Ojota-Opebi Link Bridge has yet to open to motorists, saying contractors are still working on parts of the project.

Mr Sanwo-Olu disclosed on Thursday during a dinner with some selected journalists in Lagos, TVC reported.

He noted that the government did not want to open the bridge before the contractors brought in the large cranes needed to complete the remaining work.

“We didn’t want to open it and now need to shut it down again before they arrive,” he said.

The governor stressed that the contractors had assured the government that the work would be completed within two weeks.

“They’ve assured us that in another two weeks, it should be completed,” he stated.

That would put the expected opening towards the end of September, if the contractors meet the latest deadline.

The project has, however, missed several earlier completion targets.

In December 2023, Mr Sanwo-Olu noted that the bridge, which was about 65 per cent complete at the time, would be ready by the second or third quarter of 2024.

In June 2024, the state government said the project would be completed before the end of that year.

PREMIUM TIMES reported in April that President Bola Tinubu sent Nigeria’s Senate President Godswill Akpabio to commission the road.

“The Ojota–Opebi Link Bridge is more than a road; it is a bridge to opportunities. In a city like Lagos, movement is everything. When traffic improves, productivity also improves. When time is saved, businesses grow. When access is made easier, lives also get better,” Mr Akpabio said.

On 3 September, Mr Sanwo-Olu again said the bridge would be opened before the end of September, with finishing work still ongoing.

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“I want to assure you that the Opebi Link Bridge will be opened by the end of September. We are trying to install the ark on the bridge. We want to make it a tourist attraction,” he stated.

Explaining the work left to be done, the governor mentioned an architectural feature he described as an “iconic cane” structure over the bridge.

He said the feature was intended to give the bridge a distinctive appearance and that the government wanted the planned work completed before motorists were allowed to use the facility.

The Ojota-Opebi Link Bridge is expected to provide an alternative route connecting Opebi, Mende, Maryland and Ojota and help ease traffic on roads around the area.