The Federal Government, late Sunday evening, reopened the Third Mainland Bridge merely 24 hours after it had been temporarily closed for essential palliative work.
The Federal Controller of Works in Lagos, Mrs. Olukorede Kesha expressed her satisfaction with the repair efforts undertaken on the bridge.
She assured motorists of a smooth journey until comprehensive rehabilitation begins in January 2024.
This confirmation came during her on-site evaluation of the repair work.
The bridge was made accessible to traffic around 7 p.m. on Sunday following the successful completion of the necessary repairs.
The closure, initially announced on Thursday, was scheduled to last 24 hours, aiming to alleviate the difficulties faced by commuters.
During the inspection, the Controller visited various portions along the 9.7-kilometer stretch between Iyana-Oworo and Adeniji-Adele, where critical repairs had been carried out.
Kesha clarified that these repairs were merely palliative measures to maintain the highway’s condition until the comprehensive rehabilitation slated for January 2024.
This repair is going to last beyond January; we don’t intend to do any work that will last only one or two months. Even by January, the road will still be good,” she said.
Kesha said some of the components needed for the comprehensive rehabilitation works were being imported for the emergency repairs to begin.
She added that what the Federal Ministry of Works had been doing before now was attending to failed portions, adding that the comprehensive rehabilitation would involve total removal and replacement of the asphalt surface.
The controller added that damaged ramps and expansion joints would be replaced, and extensive repairs, including painting of parapet walls, would be executed.
According to her, the contract awarded for the comprehensive rehabilitation project, scheduled for January, is expected to span six months, divided into two phases of three months each.
Kesha explained that this would breathe new life into the infrastructure, transforming the bridge’s appearance.
She urged road users to continue enjoying a smooth ride but reminded them to adhere to traffic and safety regulations.
Meanwhile, some road users applauded President Bola Tinubu for the prompt repairs, although they called for more regular maintenance and increased funding for the Third Mainland Bridge and other roads in Lagos.
Mr Henry Felix, a commercial bus driver, commended the repairs done at the weekend which, he said, was an off-peak period.
He, however, called for more regular maintenance and proactive measures to make the bridge pothole-free at all times.
A trader, Deola Ajayi, also praised the president for introducing short-term repairs that would not impact activities and businesses negatively.
“Tinubu knows how to grow the economy; that’s why he did the repairs after we had finished business on the Island on Saturday, and because people are plenty in Lagos, doing repairs on the weekend is better.
“I like the one-day repair; the government should be doing it like that at weekends and also at night. May God help our president,” she said.
Other road users also commended Tinubu and appealed for increased funding for federal road projects in the state.
The Third Mainland Bridge, stretching over 11.8 kilometers, stands as the longest of the three bridges connecting Lagos Island to the mainland.
The bridge, which starts from Oworonshoki, linking the Apapa-Oshodi expressway and Lagos-Ibadan expressway, ends at the Adeniji-Adele interchange on Lagos Island.
This iconic bridge was built in 1990 and held the title of Africa’s longest bridge until 1996 when the Oct. 6 Bridge in Cairo, Egypt, was completed.
Kanyi Daily recalls that the Federal Government had announced three days of total shutdown of the Third Mainland Bridge for another round of delicate expansion joint replacement
