The Federal Government of Nigeria has temporarily opened the Second Niger Bridge between Asaba, Delta State and Onitsha, Anambra State for motorists to journey. According to directives, the bridge would be open for use from the Southwest to the South-East through Asaba from December 15, 2022, to January 15, 2023.
Driving the news
The federal government opened the second Niger bridge during the festive season to relieve road users of the congestion consistently experienced on the old Niger bridge. However, observers lamented that the second bridge would not only cut the gridlock being experienced by motorists, it would also reduce the frequency of sales made in traffic as a result of the congestion of motorists.
The big picture
The second Niger bridge, one of the three PIDF projects, connects Asaba, Delta State to Onitsha, a town in Anambra State that hosts one of the biggest markets in Nigeria and West Africa. A second Niger bridge would ease the traffic that currently burdens thousands of workers, traders and commuters plying that route.
What you should know
The second Niger bridge is about 1.7 kilometers parallel to the current Niger bridge. It has a dual carriageway with three lanes on both sides, measuring about 1.6 kilometers, while its total length of the project is 11.9 kilometers.
Motorists would access the second Niger bridge from the interchange at Oba on the Onitsha-Owerri Road, as a road was being constructed to connect traffic on the Asaba-Benin Expressway.