Expert Calls Otedola Bridge a “Structural Death Trap,” Urges Lagos Government to Demolish and Rebuild
A project management expert and scholar, Dr. ‘Jubreel Odukoya, has strongly condemned the Lagos State Government’s inaction over the persistent fatalities at Otedola Bridge, demanding immediate and decisive action to demolish and reconstruct the infrastructure.
Dr. Odukoya, a Nigerian-born construction performance researcher trained in Malaysia, described the bridge as “a structural death trap” and “a man-made disaster zone that continues to claim innocent lives”.
The bridge, located along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, has gained infamy for recurring fatal accidents, including a devastating fuel tanker explosion in June 2018 and the death of a newlywed couple in March 2024.
Dr. Odukoya, whose doctoral research focused on construction ethics and performance, explained that the bridge’s tragedies are not coincidences but “symptoms of structural negligence, flawed design geometry, and inadequate traffic engineering”.
Read Also:
He criticized the design failures, citing the sharp slope, poor drainage system, absence of crash barriers, and poor lane demarcation as factors that make it impossible for heavy-duty vehicles to maneuver safely.
Citing his 33 years of experience in project management, Odukoya warned that the government must move beyond palliative repairs and ceremonial site visits.
“The Otedola Bridge is badly designed and poorly constructed. It has failed all known standards of performance, safety, and engineering ethics. The time has come for the government to stop patching and start acting. The bridge must be completely demolished and redesigned to meet global standards of road safety and structural integrity,” he advised.
commissioning of a Technical Audit and Reconstruction Task Force to address Otedola Bridge and other dangerous road infrastructures across Lagos State. He appealed to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration to implement international engineering safety standards and engage certified professionals to rebuild the bridge.
By PRNigeria
