Babatunde Raji Fashola, Minister of Works and Housing has confirmed that the 2nd Niger Bridge will be completed in 2022.
He made the announcement during a News Agency of Nigeria Forum on Sunday to mark the 6th-year anniversary of the Buhari-led administration.
The Minister said that the bridge will serve as a major link between the South East and the South West and reassured newsmen that it will be inaugurated between the 2nd and the 3rd quarters of 2022.
The construction of the 1.6km began on the 1st of September 2018 with a construction budget of N336 billion at the sign-off of the contract.
Fashola did not however, indicate if there are changes to the budget since the commencement of construction but added that time was lost to the Covid19 lockdowns.
He assured newsmen that the project would facilitate the influx of investment to the South East.
The minister also said that the construction work had gone beyond the water level, and explained that most bridge works were done under water.
“So, what you see currently is the final work. The sub-structure which entailed building cement structures underwater often costs a lot of money.
“We should finish the bridge next year between the second quarter and the third quarter.”
The 2nd Niger Bridge runs from Asaba in Delta State to Ozubulu, Ogbaru and other communities in Anambra State.
The current Niger Bridge which links Onitsha and Asaba was constructed by French Construction giant, Dumez and completed in 1965.