Huge Relief As Third Mainland Bridge Is Partially Opened To Traffic

Motorists in Lagos will heave a sigh of relief as the Third Mainland Bridge will be partially opened to traffic from Monday December 28 following the fast track of the delicate work that needed to be done by the contractor.

The lift of the shutdown that will ease the traffic congestion that has characterised Lagos metropolis in recent time, is coming 24 hours earlier than the 72 hours that was originally scheduled by the federal government.

The Federal government had Tuesday December 22 announced a 72 hours shutdown beginning from Saturday night but Olukayode Popoola, the Federal Controller of Works, Lagos noted that the initially scheduled 72 hours timeframe was achieved within 48 hours.

“We have completed the casting of the three number expansion joints on the Third Mainland Bridge. Therefore, the Bridge shall be opened at 12 midnight Sunday and not on Monday 28th December. That is 48 hours and no more 72 hours”.

The shutdown, according to the federal government, was to correct the vibrations that are caused by movement of vehicles and which the contractors need to cast concrete on the additional three expansion joints in the ongoing rehabilitation of the bridge.

The bridge was shut-down on July 24 for another round of six-months rehabilitation works that was supposed to end January but will now stretch to February owing to the #EndSARS protests that kept the contractors off work.

The rehabilitation works were initially divided into phases of three months on each carriageway starting from the Oworonshoki end which completion dragged to four months. Traffic was partially diverted on a stretch of 3.5km where construction is ongoing between Adeniji Ramp and Ebute Metta while different time belts were allotted to traffic diversions on the bridge.

The 11.8km bridge that was constructed in 1980 and adjudged the longest in Africa until the completion of the October 6 bridge in Cairo, Egypt, is the longest of the three bridges connecting Lagos Island to the Mainland. It starts from Oworonshoki that is linked to Apapa-Oshodi Expressway and the Lagos-Ibadan expressway and ends at the Adeniji Adele interchange on Lagos island.