Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has explained why the Ojota-Opebi Link Bridge remains closed to motorists, saying contractors still need to complete outstanding work on the project.
Sanwo-Olu spoke on Thursday during a dinner with select journalists in Lagos, according to TVC.
He said the state did not want to open the bridge only to shut it down again once contractors brought in the large cranes required to finish remaining sections.
“We didn’t want to open it and now need to shut it down again before they arrive,” he said.
The governor added that contractors had promised to complete the work within two weeks, putting a realistic opening date around the end of September.
The bridge project has missed several deadlines since construction began. In December 2023, Sanwo-Olu said the bridge — then about 65 per cent complete — would be ready by the second or third quarter of 2024. By June 2024, the state pushed the target to the end of that year.
In April, President Bola Tinubu sent Senate President Godswill Akpabio to commission the road, where Akpabio described the bridge as more than infrastructure, framing it as a boost to movement, productivity and business activity in Lagos.
On September 3, Sanwo-Olu again promised an end-of-September opening, noting that finishing touches were still ongoing — including installation of an “ark” feature meant to make the bridge a tourist attraction.
Explaining the delay further, the governor pointed to an unfinished architectural feature he called an “iconic cane” structure, designed to give the bridge a distinctive look. He said government wanted this completed before allowing motorists onto the bridge.
The Ojota-Opebi Link Bridge is expected to link Opebi, Mende, Maryland and Ojota, offering an alternative route to ease traffic congestion in the area.
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