Sen. Dave Umahi, Minister of Works, announced that the collapsed Enugu/Port Harcourt motorway would be immediately rebuilt by the Federal Government.
As part of his official tour to the state, Umahi made this statement while visiting the site of the collapsed bridge with Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State.
He added that it was terrible and that the government would in the interim offer alternate routes for people to use, but that the reconstruction of the bridge will put an end to the hardship of commuters using the road.
He stated, “We will examine the second bridge and see how far the corrective work will be done on it. Along with building the road, we’ll speed up the reconstruction of the two bridges.
“Let me assure you that I have instructed the contractor to take every feasible step to provide a different route.
We will examine the second bridge to determine its structural soundness and determine whether it can be used while the first bridge is being taken down and the new one is being built.
“I think the contractor is hearing us, and things will get going right now. I need a note, which I will give to the president.
The report and images of the demolished bridge that were supplied to the minister matched what he was seeing, the minister continued.
He added that the bridge was built in 1968 and said that the collapse happened because the pipes were exposed.
He expressed gratitude for the Enugu Government’s initiative in dualizing the Enugu to Abakaliki town route and assured them of his assistance.
“We received your letter regarding it, and I will dispatch my guys to visit and assess it. I can guarantee that you will hear from us within the next seven days; we are working on the drains and will provide you with our standard and bills of quantities.
Since we assumed office with an economy that spent more than 90% of its income on debt servicing, it is impossible for me to reassure any governor who requests a refund, he continued.
