3rd Mainland Bridge: Govt. Clarifies Partial Closure

….To Commence Remediation Works on Alternative Routes

AgegePulse Magazine

In consideration of the strategic importance of the 3rd Mainland Bridge to commuters in Lagos, Government today clarified its position on the partial closure of the bridge to the public.

Speaking during a joint media briefing by the Federal and Lagos State Government the Federal Controller of Works, Olukayode Popoola, said that the proposed partial closure of alternate sections of the Third Mainland Bridge for repairs and maintenance works would commence by July 24, and will last for six months .

While urging commuters to cooperate with Government on the proposed maintenance works, the Federal Controller said the proposed closure is not total closure as reported in some segment of the media, but it is only “a partial closure to allow for the routine repairs and maintenance works which became necessary in order to avert structural damage to sections of the bridge”.

He said for the first phase of Third Mainland Bridge maintenance works traffic would be diverted to only the Lagos Island Bound section of the road to take motorists from Oworoshoki inward Lagos from 12 midnight to 1pm in the morning while in the afternoon, from 1pm to 12 midnight daily, the section of the road will be opened to traffic from Lagos Island inward Oworoshoki.

This arrangement will be alternated for the second phase of the project on the Oworoshoki bound lane after the first phase must have been concluded.

He advised motorists to use alternative routes such as from Carter to Bridge through Iddo, through Oyingbo to join Adekunle ramp inward Oworoshoki and another from Ijora-Olopa through Western Avenue to Ikorodu Road
Popoola, who said the last routine maintenance of the bridge was carried out over eight years ago however expressed regret over the attendant hardship and discomfort the maintenance works and partial closure would cause Lagosians.

Also speaking during the Press Briefing, Commissioner for Transportation, Fredric Oladeinde said a traffic advisory for alternative routes has been carefully planned to ease travelling for commuters plying the route.

He assured that officials from Lagos State Transport Management Authority (LASTMA), Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) as well as other relevant government agencies would be on ground to enforce the traffic plan and ensure easy movement during the closure.

Special Adviser to the Governor on Works and Infrastructure, Aramide Adeyoye, said as a follow up to the notice of routine maintenance works on the Third Mainland Bridge the State Government had commenced remediation works on identified alternative routes to make it motor able for the public.

While urging transporters to ensure that only road worthy vehicles are put on the road she enjoined residents to desist from putting vehicles that are likely to break down on the roads as doing so would escalate traffic congestion. She said in order to ensure that the remediation works provided on the alternate roads is effective, the State Government is set to enforce extant rules and impound vehicles that are not road worthy.

According to the Special Adviser, “We need to change our habits and refrain from dumping refuse in the drains, indiscriminate parking of vehicles on roads and bridges and driving vehicles that are not road worthy on our roads we can reduce traffic congestion in the metropolis. “Drains provided for roads are not meant for solid waste disposal, rather they are pathways for water to run and when the drainages are choked or the cross culverts are blocked, the asphalt surface will become water logged thereby accelerating the rate of dilapidation of the roads”, this would further affect the free flow of traffic, she said

LASTMA, FRSC Give Alternative Routes As Lagos Shuts Third Mainland Bridge On Thursday

The Third Mainland Bridge, which is one of the three bridges from Lagos Island to the Mainland, will on Thursday, August 23, be shut for four days, according to the state government.

This was disclosed in a statement signed on Sunday by the Lagos State Deputy Director, Public Affairs Ministry Of Works and Infrastructure, Sina Thorpe.
The bridge, which will be closed a day after 2018 Eid-el-Kabir celebration, is to allow investigative Maintenance Test to be carried out on the Bridge.

The shutdown will start from midnight of August 23 to midnight of August 26, 2018.
The federal government had earlier announced plans to shut the bridge in July but postponed the action after consulting with the state government and other stakeholders.

Reacting to the closure last month, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) also advised Lagos residents to use Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and waterway transportation during the repair of Third Mainland Bridge.

FRSC speaks on alternative routes:

“We advise residents in that axis to ensure that they use alternative routes or other means of transportation to avoid traffic jam.

“Motorists who have nothing to do at the Lagos Island should stay off at this period and people should make use of waterways and BRT that has designated routes.

“People from Ikorodu going to Apapa should endeavour to use waterways transport system, at least for the main time to avoid delay on the road.”

“We are identifying various routes to cover during the process of repair like Cater Bridge; Ido to Ijora Olopa to Eko Bridge.

“Mostly, the vehicular movement will focus on Ikorodu Road up to Eko Bridge; but I am assuring you that enough personnel will be deployed to curb gridlocks.”

Meanwhile, the Lagos government urged motorists and residents to minimise non-essential travel and movements during the four-day closure.

LR

3RD MAINLAND BRIDGE TO BE TEMPORARILY SHUT FOR FOUR DAYS – LASG

…Closure To Last From August 23 To 26

…Appeals For Cooperation, Understanding of Lagosians

The Lagos State Government has said that the 3rd Mainland Bridge will be temporarily shut down for four days starting from midnight of August 23 to midnight of August 26, 2018 for Investigative Maintenance Test to be carried out.



The State’s Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Mr Ade Akinsanya, who disclosed this in a statement, said the decision was taken after due consultation with the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing.



The four-day closure, according to Akinsanya, will enable the contractors assess the true state of the bridge after which works would commence by the end of the year or early in 2019.



It would be recalled that the Federal Government had earlier announced plans to shut the bridge in July, but had to be shelved after due consultation with the State Government and wide deliberations with other stakeholders, who expressed concern about the indiscriminate parking of articulated vehicles on other alternative routes which would have adversely affected traffic.



Subsequently, a Joint Task Force set up to remove the articulated vehicles from the highway was able to achieve tremendous success.



Justifying the need for the closure, Akinsanya said: “The 3rd Mainland Bridge which was opened about 30 years ago by the then military government has had haphazard maintenance and repairs in the past which the present Federal Government is committed to correct by carrying out proper and continuous maintenance and repairs on it.”



Consequently, the State Government appealed for the cooperation, support and understanding of all motorists and residents, advising them to minimize non-essential travel and movements during the four-day closure.



Besides, Akinsanya said all traffic management agencies including the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and the Police, among others, have been mandated to ensure smooth flow of traffic on all the other alternative roads and traffic corridor across the metropolis to ensure free flow of traffic.