How Onitsha-Nkpor flyover got its groove back

There was apprehension when the Nkpor flyover collapsed recently after being eaten up by erosion following heavy downpour of rain. Unfortunately the collapsed part – of the service lane of the flyover – is on the ever-busy Onitsha-Nkpor Enugu flyover by New Parts Nkpor Market in Idemili North Local Government Area of the state and […]

There was apprehension when the Nkpor flyover collapsed recently after being eaten up by erosion following heavy downpour of rain. Unfortunately the collapsed part – of the service lane of the flyover – is on the ever-busy Onitsha-Nkpor Enugu flyover by New Parts Nkpor Market in Idemili North Local Government Area of the state and adversely affected the first carriage lane of vehicles coming from Enugu to Onitsha.
Following the collapse, the state government undertook an emergency visit to the site to inspect the level of damage and called on the Federal Government to urgently intervene and the carriage lane was blocked to avoid any casualty on the flyover.
But without waiting endlessly while commuters and traders who rely on intra and inter-city transportation to transact business, Anambra State government moved in men and equipment to commence palliative work at the Nkpor flyover that is being threatened by erosion. Governor Willie Obiano also directed Infrastructure Development Company (IDC), a road construction company to carry out palliative measure on the road pending the intervention of the federal government.
Following the intervention of the State government on the federal road, Mr. Sunday Ajayi, the Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Command, has stationed his officers there to control traffic in the area and direct motorists to apply caution and obey traffic order to divert their vehicles through Nkpor New Parts and other alternative routes to lessen pressure on the bridge.
On his part, the Chairman Idemili North council area Chief Obi Idemobi who described the situation as the height of marginalisation of the South-East added that if the federal government had intervened two months ago when erosion threatened the service lane, the devastation on the flyover would not have affected the carriage lane. He urged the federal government to live up to their expectation as the situation at Nkpor poses a very big challenge to local, state and federal governments.
Today the collapsed service lane of Nkpor flyover has been restored while human and vehicular movement has returned, even as the citizenry and commuters are calling on the Federal Government to refund the State funds expended in repairing a federal road.