FG flags off repair of 3rd Mainland Bridge

[MrVan]

By EMMANUEL ELEBEKE

The Federal Government yesterday flagged off the repair of the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos State , saying that certain joints on it had reached advanced stages of decay. Consequently, the road which links the Lagos Island with other parts of the state will partially remain closed in the next four months.

Minister of State for Works, Ambassador Bashir Yuguda who flagged off the  N1,055,477,608.16 project after a stakeholders' meeting said that the ''survey and the investigation carried out by the Federal Ministry of Works, on the Third Mainland Bridge, Lagos in 2007, revealed that 12 expansion joints were in need of  repairs with four in very critical  condition.''

According to him, ''the joints after inspection exhibited advanced decay of the sheer connectors linking  adjacent decks and required urgent attention.''

Yuguda further said that the repair works on the replacement of eight of the joints would last till November 6.

The Minister said work will not commence today, as contractor would use the first day to move equipment to site, but noted that diversion would commence tomorrow, at some strategic points on the bridge.

Yuguda noted that although, the bridge will not be permanently closed throughout the said period, and asked road users  not to panic as adequate arrangements had been put in place to cushion the effect of the partial closure.

Meanwhile, he said that all security issues that might arise from the partial closure had been addressed by the inclusion of all the relevant security agencies, just as he said that traffic  will be diverted from where work was going on to the other sections which were free and vice versa throughout the period of the repairs.

Traffic Diversion

He listed some of the alternative routes to Lagos Island as: Ikorodu Road-Yaba-Oyingbo-Iddo-Lagos Island;  Ikorodu Road-Western Avenue-Lagos Island; Agege Motor Road-Oshodi-Apapa-Lagos Island/Victoria Island and Apapa-Oshodi Expressway-Mile2-Orile-Lagos Island/Victoria Island.

On the management of traffic during the repair works,  the Minister said relevant agencies have been commissioned to take up the responsibility. They include: the FRSC, LASTMA, the police and the Nigerian Army among other  agencies.

The stakeholders at the end of the programme, commended both the President Goodluck Jonathan, the Lagos State government for their vision and concern towards the repair of the bridge just as the commended the general public for their continued cooperation towards the implementation of the project.

The first phase of the bridge was constructed between August and September 2008,  and  also lasted for four months, which led to the planning and execution of the second phase.

In his speech during the ceremony, the Lagos State Commissioner for Transport, Kayode Apoyefa said though, Lagosians must not expect stress free moments while the project lasted, there was no reason to whatsoever for them to panic as the state government had in collaboration with Federal Government strategized on how to avoid unnecessary pains by mobilizing about 700 security men to man all the affected routes, as against 500 mobilized in 2008.

According to him, the bridge will not be completely closed as motorists going to the Island from the mainland wiould have access from Oworonshoki  to Obalende from 5am – 12pm while those going to Maniland from the Island will divert to the listed alternative routes as work progressed and vise versa, ''when work shifts to the next route.''

The contract was awarded to an Italian firm, S/M Borini Prono & Co. Nigeria Limited on December 14, 2011.

 

Vanguard Nigeria

[MrVan]