The Federal Government has announced plans to enforce nationwide weight and height limits for vehicles on bridges to protect critical infrastructure from further damage.
The Minister of Works, David Umahi, made this known in a statement published on the official website of the ministry on Saturday, attributing the degradation of key bridges to overloaded and over-height trucks.
Umahi stated that the Ministry, in collaboration with enforcement agencies, would begin a nationwide crackdown on non-compliant vehicles.
He explained that the enforcement drive would focus on vehicle weight, clearance height, and transport configurations across federal roads and bridges.
He further noted that the crackdown aims to ensure strict compliance with existing standards, warning that a single overloaded or improperly configured truck could destroy infrastructure worth billions of naira and pose serious safety risks.
“When the height or weight of what you’re transporting exceeds the permitted clearance, it directly compromises the structural integrity of bridges and flyovers.
“These infrastructures were never designed to accommodate such abuse. A single impact from an overloaded or improperly configured vehicle can lead to multi-billion-naira damage and threaten lives, as well as properties,” Umahi was quoted as saying.
The statement further noted that, “The Honourable Minister also announced that the Ministry, in collaboration with enforcement agencies, would launch a nationwide crackdown on non-compliant vehicles. This initiative includes strict enforcement of weight load regulations, clearance heights, and transport configurations across federal roads and bridges.”
Umahi pointed to the recent incident at the Keffi Flyover, where an over-height container truck struck and damaged the bridge. He noted that flyovers and interchanges in Nigeria are designed with clearance limits between 5.5 and 6.5 metres, and violations continue to pose risks to public safety and infrastructure.
He added that at least seven bridges along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway have suffered similar damage due to overloaded or improperly configured trucks.
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Providing an update on ongoing projects, the Minister said that repairs on the Eko Bridge are now 80% complete, attributing the progress to timely funding from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
- He also mentioned ongoing works on the Third Mainland and Carter Bridges, acknowledging temporary disruptions but assuring that all repairs meet international standards.
- Supporting the enforcement efforts, the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Engr. Olufunsho Adebiyi called on truck operators and road users to comply with transport regulations to protect public assets.
He urged collaboration from stakeholders, including haulage companies and unions, noting that infrastructure protection requires collective responsibility.
The Ministry emphasised that non-compliance will attract strict penalties as it moves to ensure public safety and preserve national infrastructure.
