Third Mainland Bridge
REUTERS
By Bennett Oghifo
Maintenance work on the Third Mainland Bridge will begin Saturday following a meeting of stakeholders, which held Friday in Lagos.
The stakeholders meeting, which took place at the Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos and which was presided over by the Minister of State for Works, Ambassador Bashir Yuguda, featured a presentation by Mr. Gianfranco Aibdrtazzi, the Managing Director of Borini Prono, the contractor handling the repair work.
The MD explained that eight expansion joints would by replaced on both sides of the carriageways of the bridge.
Speaking at the meeting, Amb Yuguda said the contractor (Borini Prono) would mobilise to site tomorrow (Saturday) stressing that the “Federal Government did not at any time say the repair work was suspended indefinitely.”
The Minister of State said the maintenance work is expected to last four months and would see a partial closure of the bridge with consequent re-routing of traffic.
Amb Yuguda said security and traffic management issues had been addressed in a series of stakeholder meetings. Alternative routes to Lagos Island have been identified for traffic in the course of the maintenance work.
The first phase of the replacement expansion joints will start on the Lagos Island-bound carriageway between Ebute Metta interchange and Adeniji Adele end.
This section of the bridge will not be available for vehicular traffic for the duration of the repairs.
The second phase is on the Oworoshoki-bound carriageway, between Adeniji Adele and Ebute metta interchange.
Some of the alternative routes to Lagos Island enumerated by the minister include: Ikorodu Road-Yaba-Oyingbo-Iddo-Lagos Island.
2. Ikorodu Road-Western Avenue-Lagos Island
3. Agege Motor Road-Oshodi-Apapa-Lagos Island/Victoria Island
4. Apapa-Oshodi Expressway-Mile 2-Orile-Lagos Island/VI
Also at the meeting were the Lagos State Commissioner of Works, Dr, Hamzat Idris, and his Transportation counterpart, Mr. Opeifa and the Federal Road Safety Corps Lagos Sector Commander, Mr. Nseobong Akpabio among others