ABOUT THE BENUE OLD BRIDGE

ABOUT THE BENUE OLD BRIDGE

Construction of the bridge started in 1928, and it was opened by Donald Cemeron on 24 May 1932 to coincide with the celebration of Empire Day.

The span of the bridge is about half a mile, and the distance between abutments is 2,584 feet (788 m).

The bridge was built to replace the Nigerian railway’s ferry service that conveyed passengers across the Benue at Makurdi.

The cost of the bridge was about ₤1,000,000, and it was constructed by Sir William Arrol & Co.

At the time of its construction, it was one of the largest undertakings by the British in Africa and the longest bridge in Africa.