A strategic bridge at Eleme in Rivers State has collapsed, cutting off road users from Akwa Ibom and Cross River states from accessing Port Harcourt through that route.
The bridge, situated at a point just before the Onne Junction, which leads to the Federal Government-owned Oil and Gas Export Free Zone, caved in on Wednesday night.
Eyewitnesses said that as the bridge sank, those who came from Port Harcourt to Uyo, Eket, Calabar and Ikot Abasi, had to return to Eleme Junction on the Aba-Port Harcourt Expressway and took their journey through Aba.
But those who came from Akwa Ibom and Cross River states returned to a village route in Ogu/Bolo Local Government Area of Rivers State and continued from there to Onne through the Elelenwo area of Obio/Akpor to Port Harcourt Motor Park.
Also seriously affected by the collapsed bridge were the natives of the four Ogoni local government areas of Rivers State-Eleme, Khana, Tai and Gokana, who had to go to their homes through the route.
A resident of Bori, the headquarters of Khana Local Government Area, who gave his name as John, said he had to follow a footpath in Ogu/Bolo to come to Port Harcourt on Thursday.
�It is very sad indeed that this kind of a thing happened in 2007 when the government at the centre is claiming to have provided the people with all the infrastructure.
�We cannot understand why a very important road and bridge should be allowed to collapse only a few weeks to the general election in the state�, John lamented.
In a swift reaction, the Rivers State Government on Thursday ordered the state Ministry of Works to take immediate steps to repair the bridge.
The Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Mr. Mike Ejims-Enwukwe, told our correspondent that the state executive council was worried over the sudden collapse of the strategic bridge and had directed the Commissioner for Works, Mr. Julius Orumbo, to fix the bridge though it was the responsibility of the Federal Government to handle the job.
The commissioner disclosed that a diversion had been created through the Eteo-Onne Road in Eleme LGA and advised road users to use the temporary route until further notice.