The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has deployed personnel to strategic locations in and around Onitsha, Anambra State, ahead of the temporary closure of the First Niger Bridge from September 7 to 21, 2026.
The closure of the major bridge linking Anambra and Delta states is expected to increase traffic on alternative routes, including those connecting to the Second Niger Bridge, prompting authorities to intensify traffic management and road safety measures.
The FRSC Anambra State Sector Command disclosed this in a statement issued by its Sector Public Education Officer, Margaret B. Onabe.
According to the statement, “the deployment is part of proactive measures by the Corps, in collaboration with relevant stakeholders, to ensure smooth vehicular movement and the safety of road users during the two-week closure.”
The Sector Commander, FRSC RS5.3 Anambra, Corps Commander Bridget Asekhauno, disclosed the measures following a working visit and road audit conducted on Saturday, September 5, along major routes connecting to the Second Niger Bridge.
The Second Niger Bridge is expected to serve as a major alternative route during the closure.
The road audit was conducted in collaboration with the Sector Head of Operations, the Controller of the Federal Ministry of Works in Anambra State, Engr. Emenike Timothy, his Delta State counterpart and the Commander of the Anambra State Traffic Management Agency.
The exercise focused on assessing routes expected to handle increased vehicular traffic and identifying areas requiring urgent intervention to facilitate traffic flow and minimise the risk of road crashes.
The FRSC advised motorists to use identified alternative routes connecting to the Second Niger Bridge, including the Nkpor–Old Road–Obosi route, the Onitsha–Owerri Road from Upper Iweka, and Atani Road through Uga Junction to Harbour Industrial Layout.
Asekhauno assured motorists that the FRSC, in collaboration with other traffic-management agencies and relevant stakeholders in Anambra and Delta states, was prepared to manage traffic and respond promptly to emergencies throughout the closure period.
She urged motorists to plan their journeys, obey traffic rules and traffic-control directives, avoid unnecessary stopping or parking along the affected routes, exercise patience and refrain from dangerous driving.
The FRSC also appealed to members of the public to cooperate with personnel deployed to strategic locations, saying “compliance with traffic regulations would be essential to maintaining safe and orderly movement during the closure.”
The First Niger Bridge is an important transport link between southeastern Nigeria and other parts of the country, making effective traffic management on alternative routes critical to the movement of commuters and goods during the temporary closure.
