The Federal Government says the construction of the Second Niger Bridge and the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway would be finalized before the end of 2022.
The bridge is now named Muhammadu Buhari Bridge.
This news came as the government said there were no existing contracts to impose tolls on federal roads constructed under the Sukuk fund.
The Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, announced this to State House correspondents during a special ministerial briefing organised by the Presidential Communications Team, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Fashola also explained that the initial February completion date projection for the Second Niger Bridge failed due to several factors such as the COVID-19 lockdown, #EndSARS protests, and the sit-at-home orders by the Indigenous People of Biafra which delayed works on the Anambra side of the bridge.
He, however, added that the project was already at 91 percent completion stage.
According to him, the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and Second Niger Bridge are on course to be completed in 2022.
“The Lagos-Ibadan Expressway will be delivered this year, subject to how we navigate the pricing issues. Second Niger Bridge also this year, while the main carriageway of Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Expressway is scheduled for completion by the second quarter of 2023 before the President leaves office at the end of his tenure.
He also blamed the delay of the Anambra side of the Second Niger Bridge on IPOB’s sit-at-home orders.
“On the Second Niger Bridge, one of the challenges we are facing on the Anambra side of the project is the stay-at-home order on Mondays and every day we don’t work, there is time lost.”
