Repairs on the First Niger Bridge began on Monday, with motorists and other road users lamenting the heavy traffic on the diverted Onitsha-Owerri route in Anambra State, via the Second Niger Bridge to Asaba, Delta State.
Recall that Federal Government had last week ordered temporary closure of the 1st Niger Bridge for traffic, to enable emergency maintenance work carried out on the age long bridge for two weeks started from September 7, 2026.
The entry point from Onitsha, Anambra State to exit point in Asaba, Delta State part of the bridge was made impossible with the heavy duty construction vehicles and caterpillars for vehicular and human movements.
Reacting, some residents of Asaba working in Onitsha and other parts of Anambra State and residents of Onitsha working or do business in Asaba, have recounted their ordeals in the situation as the bridge was closed for traffic as early as 5:30 am on Monday morning.
However, some of the commuters in both Asaba and Onitsha welcomed the exercise, but regretted their experience moving into Onitsha and going out of Onitsha to Asaba and beyond.
Their regrets according to them follows the pitiable condition of Owerri Road to Onitsha, the commercial city of Anambra State, which had been neglected by both the Federal and Anambra State Government for years.
Resident of Onitsha and its environs particularly Obosi, Oba, Nkpor and Oraifite have for over two years been complaining about the impassable condition of the Owerri Road, particularly from Upper Iweka to Metallurgical Training Institute (MTI), Obosi and Electrical Market Obosi, seen as death trap.
One of the Onitsha residents plying the Owerri Road, Okechukwu Ojukwu, said, ‘We have being calling on the Anambra State Government attention on the Onitsha- Owerri Road, but have.
‘We hope that the concerned authorities should also dismantle the Police and Navy check points that has been contributing to commuters suffering on Owerri road now it is the only road apart from Obosi road that people can use to come into Onitsha.’
Meanwhile, Nnanna Oji Ama, the Anambra State Commissioner of Police, in collaboration with sister security agencies, has commenced a coordinated security and traffic management operation following the temporary closure of the First Niger Bridge to vehicular traffic for scheduled maintenance works.
Ama, personally led heads of sister security agencies and other strategic security commanders on an on-the-spot assessment of the bridge, adjoining areas and identified diversionary routes.
The assessment was aimed at identifying potential security, traffic and public-safety challenges arising from the closure and putting in place proactive measures to mitigate them.
Consequently, the Command has deployed a Police-led Joint Security Team to strategic locations around the bridge, diversionary routes and other critical points to maintain security, support effective traffic management and prevent criminal elements from exploiting the situation.
The deployment is specifically targeted at ensuring safe, orderly and unhindered movement of motorists, commuters and pedestrians, while preventing traffic obstruction, congestion, harassment, opportunistic criminality and other security breaches.