The Federal Ministry of Works has shut outbound Kara Bridge on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.
The shutdown is to enable an integrity to be conducted on the bridge to determine its status.
It has borne the brunt several accidents, including petrol tank explosions, in recent months.
The ministry in a letter to Lagos State Government is seeking the cooperation of the state’s while the exercise lasts.
According to letter, the contractor handling integrity test spefically requested that the bridge be shut to facilitate the project.
The Controller of Works in Lagos, Mr Kayode Popoola, was quoted in a report by Channels Television as saying that traffic would be diverted to two lanes, instead of the original three on the highway.
He appealed for motorists to cooperate with officials of government and the contractors to ensure quick and speedy completion of the project.
He said, “Kara Bridge got burnt and we have to carry out integrity test. The test will be done by Julius Berger Nigeria Ltd,” he said.
“Hopefully, they will remove the wreckage today and then we put the barriers there, then the work will start tomorrow.
“There is going to be partial closure of one lane in the sense that instead of three lanes, traffic will now be restricted to only two lanes, that is, the Ibadan-bound lane.
“The work will be done on Saturday and Sunday, they would finish hopefully on Sunday.
“We advise motorists to please slow down and allow us to work so that avoidable accidents can be avoided.”
There have been many cases of multiple accidents most of the times involving petrol tanker explosions.
Some Lagos State Emergency Workers are already at the project site removing the burnt tanker and truck which had been left on the bridge since Sunday.
