The pedestrian bridge at Alapere Ketu Estate Gate along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway on Thursday collapsed following a collision with a truck, resulting in significant damage to the entire structure.
The Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Transportation, Sola Giwa, confirmed the incident during a conversation with PUNCH Online on Friday.
Reportedly, a convoy of 12 trucks was passing through the area, with the first 10 successfully clearing the bridge.
However, the 11th truck, speeding and lacking patience, became stuck under the bridge, causing extensive damage that led to the collapse of the structure.
He said, “The accident occurred at about 11 pm on Thursday. The trucks were about 12 moving inward the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway when it happened.
“Ten of the trucks had successfully manoeuvred their way but the 11th one, due to the driver’s impatience to safely pass under the bridge and the height of the container it was carrying, rammed into the bridge and damaged the entire bridge.”
Additionally, Giwa emphasized that emergency responders successfully cleared the debris from the road, enabling the smooth flow of traffic. Importantly, no casualties were reported as a result of the incident.
“Immediately we got wind of the incident, we notified the necessary authorities and the debris has been cleared off the road. In some minutes now, there will be an easy flow of traffic. No casualty was recorded in the accident,” he noted.
At the accident scene, the acting General Manager of the Lagos State Transportation Management Authority and a first responder,Bakare Oki, urged road users to practice patience while using the roads to prevent incidents like this from occurring in the future.
“This is yuletide season and we understand that people are often in a haste but patience is key whenever you’re on the road, not just because of your safety alone but because of the safety of other road users.
“I am appealing to drivers and road users especially on Lagos roads to exercise patience and caution so that casualties on the road will be minimal if not eradicated”, he said.
