Third Mainland Bridge under Construction 6

Traffic diversion takes effect tomorrow

Traffic diversion on the Third Mainland Bridge will start on Sunday as the repairs of eight weak expansions joints along the longest bridge in Africa starts today.

At an interactive session involving all interested parties held in Lagos yesterday to mark the official commencement of the repairs, the Minister of State for Works, Ambassador Bashir Yuguda said  "there will not be total closure of the bridge, but there will be restricted access during specific hours." 

 

According to the communiqué issued at the end of the interactive session, the condition survey and investigation conducted in 2007 by the Federal Ministry of Works revealed that "12 expansion joints were in need of repairs with four in very critical condition. The joints exhibited advanced decay of the sheer connectors linking adjacent decks and required urgent attention."

The repair works, awarded to Borini Prono & Co (Nigeria) Ltd  on December 14, 2011 at a sum of N1.055bn,  will take four months, that is, from today to November 6. 

Borini Prono did the repair of the four critically weak joints in 2008.

The minister said the incessant rain witnessed in Lagos in the last two weeks forced the suspension of the repairs which ought to have started on July 2.

The Managing Director of Borini Prono, Gianfranco Albertazz, during a technical presentation on the methods and stages of repairs, promised to finish on the deadline. 

The company completed the earlier repairs as scheduled from August 2 to October 2, 2008 and it believes the earlier experience will prove useful towards a timely and successful completion of the current repairs.

The Lagos State Commissioner for Transport, Kayode Opeifa, assured Lagos residents of a well-managed traffic, while the repairs last and advised them to always listen to the state-owned Traffic FM on 96.1 for periodical information on traffic management plan. 

The Third Mainland Bridge is the most important bridge in Lagos, Nigeria's economic centre, with an average of 180 vehicles accessing it every minute, according to a Federal Ministry of Works data. Therefore, residents are apprehensive of a possible traffic standstill that a closure of the bridge will cause.

Mr.Opeifa said: "In 2008, we had it difficult because many roads, including some of the alternative routes, were under construction, but those roads are good now. Oshodi is now passable. Muritala Muhammed Way was completed with a functional BRT lane. Therefore, we expect a lighter challenge now."

He further said: “Minor repairs are ongoing on many of the alternative routes, some busy bus stops that may cause traffic build-up are being reviewed,and 700 traffic officers are on standby to ensure hitch free management of the needed traffic diversion”.

Mr.Opeifa said there will be three diversion points along the bridge at UNILAG waterfront, Oworonshoki and Adeniji Adele Interchange. 

The repairs will be carried out in two phases to allow for limited access to the bridge. Motorists going towards Lagos Island will have unrestricted access to the bridge between 12midnight and 12noon because it is expected that more traffic will flow towards the Island during that period, while those moving towards the mainland will be diverted to Iddo and Ijora. 

Between 12noon and 12 midnight, motorists moving towards the mainland will have unrestricted access to the bridge, while those moving towards the Island will be diverted to the Ikorodu Road and Muritala Muhammed Way.