*Residents sitting on gunpowder keg, warn experts
• Govt parleys stakeholders, threatens sanction
Some bridges in Lagos are at a risk of buckling under the weight of
parked heavy-duty trucks.
The Ijora, Eko and Carter Bridges are under great strains from immobile
articulated vehicles, a situation worsened by recurring gridlocks and the
deplorable state of roads leading to ports and tank farms.
Other bridges affected by similar stress are those at Abati Barracks,
Ojuelegba and Stadium.
The Guardian recently counted 85 articulated vehicles conveying
containers of various sizes parked between the Ijora and Jibowu Bridges.
An empty 20-feet container weighs 2,000 kilogrammes. A 40-feet container
doubles the kilogrammes. With an average truck weighing about 14,000
kilogrammes, the total weight of 25 stationary trucks on the Ojuelegba Bridge
could be around 450,000 kilogrammes. This is besides the weight of other
vehicles. The implication is that the four bridges on the Western Avenue area
of the city – Ijora, Stadium, Ojuelegba and Abati Barracks – pack a massive
1.53 million kilogrammes on an average day.
The load on these bridges, not originally designed to host heavy static
vehicles, and a lack of consistent and thorough maintenance could spell
tragedy.
Structural engineer and immediate past President of NIStructE, Oreoluwa
Fadayomi, said: “When these vehicles are stationary on the bridges for a long
time, they have negative impacts. These include deterioration, bridge-fatigue,
damage or even collapse. Moreover, there is no money anywhere now to build
these kinds of solid structures again. Bridges are made so that vehicles keep
moving.”
He warned: “There is also the risk of a fire. If any of the articulated
vehicles catch fire, there would be a chain reaction, which can cause severe
damage to the bridge. We are sitting on a keg of gunpowder because the bridges
are weakening daily, as tankers, trucks and articulated vehicles park on them
due to traffic congestion.”
He urged government to address the causes of vehicles parking on bridges
and ensure proper and timely monitoring of the facilities. “Something should be
done to stop it very fast because of the negative effect on the infrastructure
and possible disaster in the event of a collapse,” Fadayomi added.
The challenge on the bridges is exacerbated by construction on the Apapa
Road and the current fuel scarcity in the country. As a result, many vehicles
are forced to stay permanently on the bridges for weeks, due to lack of loading
bays in tank farms and oil companies.
Previous attempts by the Federal Government and Lagos State authorities
to curtail the problem have proved abortive. The office of the Federal
Controller of Works, Lagos, has on several occasions given ultimatums to truck
drivers or even deployed force, to no avail.
Most of the bridges were constructed during the 1970s oil boom. The
nation would need $8 billion yearly to close up the huge gap in its public
infrastructure and about $14 billion every year to fund infrastructure.
Regrettably, current spending on infrastructure is an estimated $6 billion.
Also, for decades, budgets for capital expenditure by federal and state governments
have been on the decline while recurrent expenditure has been rising. The
average government budget for capital expenditure has been about 25 per cent.
According to the past President, Nigerian Institution of Structural
Engineers (NIStructE), Dr. Samuel Ilugbekhai, the state of the bridges is one
of gross structural abuse. He stressed that they were not designed to bear
enormous weight from static trailers and tankers, and warned that their life
spans could be shortened.
Urging government to put more effort into solving the problem, he noted
the difference between buildings that house car parks and bridges. While
multi-storeyed parks are designed for the specific purpose, bridges are
intended to carry transitional loads within seconds. “They are not designed to
retain loads for one hour, two hours, days or weeks,” Ilugbekhai said.
Also, President of the Nigerian Institute of Structural Engineers, Eddy
Atumonyogo, said besides the destructive strain on the bridges, aesthetics is
also compromised, with engine oil and other pollutants threatening surfaces.
The Federal Controller of Works in Lagos, Mr. Godwin Eke, however said
government is aware of the dangerous state of the bridges. He said talks are
ongoing with Ogun State to provide a loading bay where vehicles, especially
those along Western Avenue, could park.
He disclosed that government has also engaged stakeholders like the
National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), Association of
Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO) and National Association of Road Transport Owners
(NARTO), with a view to solving the problem.
He added that if these efforts fail, the authorities might have to resort
to towing the vehicles away.
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