The Federal Government has begun urgent repairs on a damaged section of the Shagamu–Benin carriageway, after a visible puncture appeared on the Benin-bound bridge deck near the Edo–Ondo border.
Minister of Works, David Umahi, said a team of engineers had been deployed to the site and confirmed that vehicular movement on the affected span would remain restricted for up to 45 days to allow concrete works to properly set.
The bridge, a key route linking the southwest to the Niger Delta, was constructed in 1981. Officials say the current damage is linked to age-related deterioration, with the deck showing signs of wear after decades of heavy use. Similar damage was recorded on another span in the past and was repaired.
Umahi assured motorists that a long-term solution is being prepared, involving the complete removal and rebuilding of the bridge decks in both Edo and Ondo States. In the meantime, traffic will be diverted to the opposite carriageway, with Federal Road Safety Corps personnel deployed to manage congestion.
“We apologise to road users for the inconvenience,” the minister said, adding that the rehabilitation forms part of President Bola Tinubu’s nationwide intervention on more than 30 bridges in 2025.
The ministry credited a content creator for drawing public attention to the latest damage, though it dismissed what it described as “preconceptions” about the administration’s efforts. Umahi maintained that the government’s Renewed Hope agenda was delivering progress in road infrastructure, which he described as central to economic growth and regional integration.
The minister highlighted broader plans under Tinubu’s legacy projects, aimed at expanding the national road network to support industrialisation, healthcare, tourism and education.
