The Federal Government has directed the reopening of Eko and Marine Bridges in Lagos on Monday, October 19, after completing repair works.
The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola, gave the approval for the reopening of the completed first phase of the repairs on the Bridges by midnight of Sunday, 18th October.
A statement issued by the Director of Press, Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, Mrs. Boade Akinola, said the repairs of the two bridges were undertaken by Messrs. Buildwell Plant & Equipment Industries Limited.
Akinola said, “In his directives for the reopening of the Bridges, Fashola thanked Lagosians for their patience, understanding and cooperation while sections of the Bridges were closed. He also directed that members of the public should be informed of any restrictions to traffic while work is ongoing on the Second Phase of the project.”
Fashola, according to the Director of Press, said work should commence immediately on the Alaka bound side of the project while the completed section of the Eko Bridge (Lagos Island Bound) should be reopened to traffic.
On the next phase of repair works on the bridges, the Director Highways (Bridges & Designs) in the ministry, Engr. Emmanuel Adeoye, said work has commenced without the need for either partial or complete closure of the Bridges, adding that the public would be informed adequately should such a step become necessary.
The repair works on the Eko and Marine Bridges is part of the ongoing Federal Government’s Bridge Maintenance Programme which involves the repairs and rehabilitation of over 37 bridges nationwide with a substantial number already completed while others are at different stages of completion.
The 1,350 metre Eko Bridge, built in phases between 1965 and 1975, links the Lagos Island to the Mainland. It was closed to traffic in March this year in order to replace faulty joints and bearings. But, as a result of COVID-19 lockdown, actual repair works commenced in the first week of June.
Work commenced in May on the Marine Bridge for the first of the three phases in which repair works were divided.
The repairs on the Bridge, which is part of a network of complex bridges with several loops taking traffic in and out of the Apapa area of Lagos, included jacketing and skin repairs of the piers, lifting the bridge section deck in order to change the electrometric bearing, milling and placing a new wearing course of asphalt among others.
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