The Federal Government has ordered the immediate closure of one section of the Keffi Bridge in Nasarawa State after a partial collapse caused by a heavy-duty vehicle.
Minister of Works, David Umahi, gave the directive in Abuja on Thursday after receiving reports that an excavator mounted on a high-bed truck had knocked down beams on the bridge.
Umahi confirmed that the affected carriageway has been shut down to avoid further damage and ensure public safety.
“We have directed the shutdown of the Keffi bridge, but the one shutdown is definitely the first carriageway that had direct impact with the excavator,” he said.
The Minister added that senior technical officers have been deployed to assess the condition of the second carriageway. If that section is also compromised, the entire bridge may be closed.
Umahi blamed the incident on the use of over-height vehicles, which he said frequently ignore traffic safety regulations. He noted that Nigeria’s standard flyover headroom is 5.6 metres, but some trucks exceed that limit, leading to repeated structural damage across the country.
“To prevent this kind of damage, we may adopt a 6.5-metre minimum headroom and install heavy metal gateways to stop over-height vehicles from using such routes,” he added.
He stressed the need for immediate redesign of the damaged bridge and called for experienced contractors to handle the reconstruction work as an emergency priority.
The collapse of the Keffi bridge adds to the growing concerns over infrastructure safety in Nigeria, where poor compliance with transport regulations continues to threaten public safety and economic activity.
