The Federal Authorities has introduced plans to implement nationwide weight and peak limits for autos on bridges to guard important infrastructure from additional harm.
The Minister of Works, David Umahi, made this recognized in a press release printed on the official web site of the ministry on Saturday, attributing the degradation of key bridges to overloaded and over-height vans.
Umahi acknowledged that the Ministry, in collaboration with enforcement businesses, would start a nationwide crackdown on non-compliant autos.
He defined that the enforcement drive would deal with car weight, clearance peak, and transport configurations throughout federal roads and bridges.
He additional famous that the crackdown goals to make sure strict compliance with current requirements, warning {that a} single overloaded or improperly configured truck might destroy infrastructure price billions of naira and pose severe security dangers.
“When the peak or weight of what you’re transporting exceeds the permitted clearance, it instantly compromises the structural integrity of bridges and flyovers.
“These infrastructures have been by no means designed to accommodate such abuse. A single impression from an overloaded or improperly configured car can result in multi-billion-naira harm and threaten lives, in addition to properties,” Umahi was quoted as saying.
The assertion additional famous that, “The Honourable Minister additionally introduced that the Ministry, in collaboration with enforcement businesses, would launch a nationwide crackdown on non-compliant autos. This initiative contains strict enforcement of weight load rules, clearance heights, and transport configurations throughout federal roads and bridges.”
Umahi pointed to the current incident on the Keffi Flyover, the place an over-height container truck struck and broken the bridge. He famous that flyovers and interchanges in Nigeria are designed with clearance limits between 5.5 and 6.5 metres, and violations proceed to pose dangers to public security and infrastructure.
He added that at the least seven bridges alongside the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway have suffered related harm because of overloaded or improperly configured vans.
Offering an replace on ongoing tasks, the Minister stated that repairs on the Eko Bridge are actually 80% full, attributing the progress to well timed funding from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
He urged collaboration from stakeholders, together with haulage corporations and unions, noting that infrastructure safety requires collective accountability.
The Ministry emphasised that non-compliance will entice strict penalties because it strikes to make sure public security and protect nationwide infrastructure.
