Niger Bridge | |
---|---|
Coordinates | 6°08′04″N6°45′32″E / 6.134434°N 6.758819°E |
Carries | 3 vehicular lane central carriageway [1] |
Crosses | Niger River |
Locale | Asaba |
Other name(s) | Onitsha bridge |
Maintained by | Federal Ministry of Works |
Characteristics | |
Material | Steel |
Total length | 4,606 feet (1,404 m) [1] |
Longest span | 600 feet (180 m) [1] |
Piers in water | 7 |
Clearance below | 74 feet (23 m) [1] |
History | |
Opened | December 1965 |
Location | |
The River Niger Bridge or Onitsha Bridge is a bridge that connects the southeastern and western regions of Nigeria across the Niger River. The bridge, which was completed in 1965, is located in Onitsha, Anambra State, and links to Asaba, Delta State. The bridge has two lanes and a pedestrian walkway, and is often congested with traffic and informal traders. A second bridge, known as the Second Niger Bridge or the Second Onitsha Bridge, was inaugurated in 2023 to ease the pressure on the existing bridge and provide a more modern and durable structure. [2]
Feasibility studies and design considerations on the possibility of constructing a bridge across River Niger from Asaba to Onitsha was carried out by the Netherlands Engineering Consultants of The Hague, Holland (NEDECO) in the 1950s, [3] Between 1964 and 1965, French construction giant, Dumez, constructed the Niger Bridge, to link Onitsha and Asaba in present-day Anambra and Delta States respectively at an estimated cost of £6.75 million. Construction of the bridge was completed in December 1965. [4]
After its completion, the bridge was eight by four hundred and twenty feet (8×420 ft.) with a carriageway of 36 feet centre-truss and a pedestrian walkway on both sides of the carriageway. It was commissioned by the then Prime Minister the late Alhaji Tafawa Balewa and opened for traffic in December 1965. The commissioning of the bridge was the last public function of the Prime Minister before his assassination on January 15, 1966. [3]
During the Nigerian Civil War of 1967 - 1970, in an attempt to halt the Nigerian military advance, retreating Biafran soldiers destroyed the River Niger Bridge at Onitsha, trapping the Nigerians on the other side of the river. During President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan administration, the bridge was rehabilitated by replacing two spans on the Onitsha end of the bridge that was damaged during the civil war with a fourteen-foot wide bailey, at an estimated cost of 1.5 million pounds. [3]
Onitsha is a city on the eastern bank of the Niger River, in Anambra State, Nigeria. A metropolitan city, Onitsha is known for its river port and as an economic hub for commerce, industry, and education. It hosts the Onitsha Main Market, the largest market in Africa in terms of geographical size and volume of goods.
Delta State is a state in the South-South geopolitical zone of Nigeria. Named after the Niger Delta—a large part of which is in the state—the state was formed from the former Bendel State on August 27, 1991. Bordered on the north by Edo State, the east by Anambra and Rivers States, and the south by Bayelsa State across the Niger River for 17 km and the Forçados River for 198 km, while to the west is the Bight of Benin which covers about 160 kilometres of the state's coastline. The State was initially created with 12 local government areas in 1991 which was later extended to 19 and now has 25 local government areas. Asaba as its state capital is located along the River Niger on the northeastern end of the State, while the state's economic centre is the twin cities of Warri and Uvwie
Anambra State is a Nigerian state, located in the southeastern region of the country. The state was created on 27 August 1991. Anambra state is bounded by Delta State to the west, Imo State to the south, Enugu State to the east and Kogi State to the north.
Asaba is the capital of Delta State, Nigeria. A rapidly growing city, it is located at the western bank of the Niger River, in the Oshimili South Local Government Area. Asaba had a population of 149,603 as at the 2006 census, and a fast growing metropolitan population of over half a million people.
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