‘Killer’ pedestrian bridge at Fadeyi still unfixed 3 months after closure

No rehabilitation work has been done on the ‘killer’ pedestrian bridge located at the Fadeyi area of Lagos, three months after it was closed by the state government.  The government had shut the pedestrian bridge last November in the wake of public outcry over the dilapidated nature of the facility and the possible danger it […]

No rehabilitation work has been done on the ‘killer’ pedestrian bridge located at the Fadeyi area of Lagos, three months after it was closed by the state government.
 The government had shut the pedestrian bridge last November in the wake of public outcry over the dilapidated nature of the facility and the possible danger it posed to users. Mini gates were used to block the entry and exit points of the bridge. Then, many had thought the government was going to either repair the bridge or construct a new one in its place.
Concerned residents had in separate interviews with Eko Trust last year described the Fadeyi pedestrian bridge as “a tragedy waiting to happen.” The residents had implored the state government to facilitate the reconstruction of the foot bridge in the interest of the citizens, while noting that crossing the expressway which they had resorted to, was dangerous as they could fall victims of hit and run drivers.
 Our correspondent who visited Fadeyi at the weekend reports that the bridge was still under lock and key, with no rehabilitation work done on it. The state of the bridge remained as it was three months ago – dilapidated. Most residents had expected the state government to rehabilitate the bridge or construct a new one at the spot in a jiffy due to the strategic importance of the facility to residents of the area and other users.
The closure of the foot bridge had also caused many users to resort to crossing the ever-busy Ikorodu expressway in defiance to traffic rules in the state. Our correspondent observed that most users now line the to and fro edges of the expressway to negotiate the opposite direction of the bridge.
Most residents and users fear that the continuous closure of the bridge constitutes a grave danger to them as they have no choice than to cross the express road and be exposed to danger due to the activities of reckless drivers on the road.
A resident, Mr Andrew Atoyebi, expressed dissatisfaction over the continuous closure of the Fadeyi pedestrian bridge and the increasing rate at which people in the area cross the expressway.
He said: “When the government closed the pedestrian bridge to public use last year, we were happy as we said to ourselves that the government was alive to its responsibility. We thought the government wanted to prevent the obvious danger lurking around the community as a result of the continuous use of the dilapidated foot bridge.
“But after three months of waiting in vain to get a new foot bridge in a strategic place like this (Fadeyi), we are tempted to lose patience over why it has taken the government so long to fix the facility or replace it. Residents are being routinely exposed to danger due to their continuous crossing of the expressway. We hereby appeal to Governor Akinwunmi Ambode to ensure that a new foot bridge is quickly constructed in the area in order to save us from impending danger.”
A housewife who usually used the foot bridge before it was closed by the government, Mrs Taiwo Badaru said she was very uncomfortable over her inability to use the bridge to cross to the other side of Fadeyi.
“For over three months now, I have been crossing the expressway with my little son whose school is situated across the opposite end of Fadeyi. This is extremely dangerous for me and my son, but we are left with no choice. I would urge the government to ensure the construction of a new foot bridge at Fadeyi quickly,” she said.