Third Mainland Bridge

Femi Durojaiye

Lagos State House of Assembly Tuesday invited the management of Julius Berger Plc and the Federal Controller of Works for the state to appear before it and explain the true state of the Third Mainland bridge.

They are expected to appear before the Assembly on July 9.
While Julius Berger, the construction company, which built the bridge under the Ibrahim Babangida military administration, is to explain the current state of the bridge, the Federal Controller of Works will explain why the rehabilitation of the bridge was postponed indefinitely.

The motion to summon the two bodies to the House was moved by the Chief Whip of the Assembly, Hon. Razak Balogun representing Surulere 2, who drew the attention of his colleagues to the current danger posed by the bridge.

Balogun, who raised the issue under Matter of Urgent Public Importance, expressed worry that the bridge may have been facing serious pressures which may lead to disaster if not quickly addressed.
Balogun said the bridge had long been due for repairs.

“Many times when I ply that bridge, I’m afraid because I don’t even know what section of the bridge is safe.” Corroborating Balogun’s explanations, the Assembly’s  Committee Chairman on Works, Hon. Rotimi Olowo, who is representing Somolu 1, said: “Also everything that are supposed to be the barriers are giving way. Dana airline tragedy is still very fresh in our memory.”


I know when they proposed this maintenance, there was a lot of cry about the huge traffic situation that would follow, but I am worried that like too many things in our country, we would not take action until a disaster happens.
“If you stand on that bridge, you would see how much it vibrates and you would be scared that this is the bridge we all pass,” he lamented.

also expressed reservations concerning the bridge and explained that the expansions had given way to the extent that one could now see the water through the holes on the bridge.

“We are talking about real maintenance and not the cosmetic type in which they have started painting the place with green and white. If anything goes amiss on that bridge, we would be talking about hundreds or thousands of people losing their lives,” he said.