The Plateau State Government has raised the alarm over what it described as the imminent collapse of five Federal Government bridges located in the southern part of the state.
Commissioner for Works, Joshua Ubandoma Laven, who raised
the concern during an inspection tour of the affected bridges alongside other
top government officials on Saturday, said the deteriorating condition of the
facilities has put residents of the affected communities at risk.
He said there is a potential for the southern zone to be cut
off from other areas.
The affected bridges include the Longvel Bridge along the
Shendam -Yelwa Ibi Road in Shendam Local Government Area; Kufai Yelwa Bridge on
the Yelwa–Garkawa Road in Shendam LGA, Bakwai Bridge along the
Langtang–Zamko–Garkawa Road in Langtang North LGA, and the Bailey bridges along
the Langtang–Wase Road in Langtang North LGA.
Others are the Jarmai Bridge along the Dengi–Bashar Road in
Kanam LGA and the Bauchi Road Bridge in Jos North LGA.
While calling on the Federal Government to carry out urgent
emergency intervention on the bridges, Laven explained that the Longvel Bridge
which was constructed several decades ago, has suffered extensive structural
damage due to repeated flooding over the years.
The works commissioner recalled that in 2012, severe
flooding undermined the bridge’s foundation and approach, prompting the federal
government to construct a relief culvert to address the damage.
He however lamented that subsequent flooding between 2014
and 2018 further weakened the structure, leading to the failure of the
retaining wall and approach embankment which had undermined the foundation of a
second relief box culvert, causing it to sink and resulting in noticeable
subsidence at the bridge approach.
“The bridge has outlived its serviceable age and the best
solution is complete demolition and reconstruction to guarantee safe
connectivity,” Laven told journalists.
He said the collapse of the Longvel Bridge, which is a
strategic route linking Plateau with Nasarawa, Taraba, and other neighboring
states, would severely disrupt interstate movement and economic activities.
“We are appealing to the Federal Government to act swiftly
to rescue the people of southern Plateau and other Nigerians who rely on these
routes. This is beyond the capacity of the state government.
“As you can see, we are faced with an emergency in Plateau.
These bridges require urgent intervention. If any of these bridges collapse,
commuters will be completely cut off, and several local government areas will
lose access,” he said.
Laven further warned that with the rainy season approaching,
the situation could worsen if immediate action is not taken, and called on the
Federal Government to deploy an emergency response team and provide funds for
urgent rehabilitation before the rains intensify between March and April.
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