Kwara APC Government Abandons N1.2 Billion Bridge Project, Builds ‘Container Bridge’ on Major Highway

Residents of Kwara State have voiced growing anger and fear after the state government constructed a makeshift “container bridge” using shipping containers on the Okolowo–Alapa Road in Moro Local Government Area, months after the collapse of the Mooro Bridge killed one person and left several others seriously injured.

The temporary structure, built with shipping containers across the collapsed section of the highway, has sparked widespread concern over its ability to safely support heavy-duty trucks, fuel tankers, trailers and articulated lorries that regularly use the strategic road connecting Kwara State with northern Oyo communities and the Nigeria–Benin Republic border.

A visit to the site showed that the Kwara State Government had completed an alternative access road leading to the temporary bridge. A signboard at the location reads: “Construction of Alternative Access Road at Collapsed Bridge Along Okolowo–Alapa Road, Moro LGA. Supervising Ministry: Kwara State Ministry of Works.”

Despite the intervention, residents questioned the durability of the structure, warning that it could pose serious risks, particularly during the peak of the rainy season. One resident acknowledged the government’s effort to restore access but said the solution was inadequate for the volume and weight of traffic using the route. “If you check the road from where the government started, you will see that they have tried, but the only problem is that the container bridge is not strong enough to withstand the weight of heavy-duty vehicles like trucks that always pass here. But we can’t do anything about it. We are just praying to God against calamity,” the resident said.

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The resident also warned that flooding later in the year could threaten the temporary bridge. “If water comes around September during the heavy rains, we are praying the bridge will not be washed away. But if you look beneath the bridge, you will see how the water flows. If the flood becomes heavy, there is a high chance it could wash away the bridge. If you also look at the top of the container, it looks somehow. The bridge is not strong enough to withstand the weight the government intends it to carry,” the resident added.

A civil engineer, Babatunde Abdulganiy, said container bridges can serve as temporary crossings if properly designed but are not intended for prolonged use under continuous heavy traffic. Speaking after reviewing videos and photographs of the structure, Abdulganiy said the main concern was the apparent lack of urgency in reconstructing the permanent bridge. “Based on the videos and pictures you shared with me, it appears that the government intended the container bridge to serve as a temporary alternative route. The critical question, however, is: for how long?” he said.

He noted that there appeared to be no clear indication that reconstruction of the permanent bridge would begin soon, raising concerns that the temporary arrangement could remain in place for an extended period.

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