Segun Atanda/
Road users were served a notice today that the Third Mainland Bridge will be shut for two years and three months (27 months) to effect repairs.
According to the Federal Controller of Works, in Lagos, Mr Adedamola Kuti, who announced the plan today the emergency rehabilitation/maintenance of the Third Mainland Bridge project would begin on July 27.
He said that Borini Prono Construction Company would handle the repairs of the bridge that was built by Julius Berger Nigeria PLC and opened by Military President, Gen Ibrahim Babangida in 1990.
Measuring about 11.8 km in length, the Third Mainland Bridge was Africa’s longest bridge until the 6th October Bridge located in Cairo was completed in 1996.
Kuti spoke at a stakeholders’ meeting at the Ministry of Works office, in Lagos.
He said that the repair works on the bridge would be staggered over a period of 27 months.
NewsmakersNG learnt that the meeting was convened by the ministry for stakeholders to brainstorm on effective traffic diversion and management to prevent gridlocks during the period.
Some of the stakeholders at the event included: NUPENG, National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO), Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) and the Police.
He said that the bridge would be totally shut to traffic on the first three days for the contractor to carry out various tests on it.
He added that subsequent closures would be on a partial basis.
His words: “A Dynamic Test on Bridge Expansion Joints on Third Mainland Bridge is to be carried out between Friday, July 27, 2018, and Sunday, July 29, 2018, and it has been done in such a way that it will have minimum impact on road users.
“Consequently, the Third Mainland Bridge will be closed to traffic by 12.00 midnight of Thursday 26th July 2018 and be opened by 12.00 midnight Sunday 29th July 2018.
“Alternative routes will be plied during this period and traffic control will be in place to direct and help traffic movement.
“We regret any inconvenience this might cause road users as this closure is inevitable.’’
He appealed for the patience of road users and promised that all alternative routes would be repaired to make them smooth for easy access.
The Lagos State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, (FRSC), Mr Hyginus Omeje, also appealed to motorists to use mass transportation facilities during repair works on the Third Mainland Bridge.
Omeje told journalists that the vehicular occupancy ratio in Lagos was 1:1 which meant that there was an average of one driver per vehicle that plied the road hence, the usual heavy traffic.
He said that all the traffic regulatory and law enforcement agencies at the event were going to work in synergy to prevent gridlock.
“Instead of everybody coming out with their vehicles within this period, can we do the park-and-ride option which we have been advocating to really help us to ease off traffic in Lagos,’’ he said.
He also appealed to the media to increase its awareness campaign on the dangers of drivers of articulated vehicles parking on the roads and bridges.
“They should change their attitudes toward indiscriminate parking of trucks on the roads and bridges,” Omeje said.
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