Third Mainland bridge:Alternative roads flooded

As the four-month rehabilitation of the Third Mainland Bridge commenced yesterday, uncertainty and palpable fear have started to manifest among many residents of Lagos, especially those who frequently make use of the bridge.

 According to Sunday Tribune’s findings, the fear emanates from the present conditions of the roads designated as alternative roads despite the state government’s announcement that it had put measures in place to help control traffic on the alternative routes that would be made available. The situation has left many residents in the dark about the shape things will take in the days to come.

 Further checks showed that many of the roads were massively affected by the flooding recorded in various parts of the state after a series of downpour, a situation that has further heightened the uncertainty surrounding the nature of the traffic snarl that would develop. 

Such places include Ikorodu Road, Agege Motor Road, Ijora, Oshodi and Ojota Interchange. The situation is so, given the difficulty many residents have been facing while making their ways to their respective destinations as a result of the recent downpours recorded in the state which have made life not only difficult in terms of loss of valuables, but also in terms of the heavy traffic. 

 It will be recalled that the state government had, last week, disclosed that it would make available no fewer than 500 officers of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) who would be expected to help in the control of traffic on the alternative routes that would be provided throughout the duration of rehabilitation works on the bridge.

 “The entire situation is indeed very precarious. This is because before the rains, which brought about massive flooding in the state started, we were not really sure of what the traffic situation would look like when the bridge is partially closed for the specified period. 

But now that many roads in the state have been affected one way or the other by the flood, things can only look bleaker,” said a resident of Agege, whose office is at Victoria Island. In the meantime, Commissioner for Transportation in Lagos State, Mr Kayode Opeifa, has again reiterated the resolve of the state government to manage the unavoidable traffic that would develop as a result of the diversion.

 He insisted that the traffic would be managed in such a way that useful man-hours lost would be minimal. He also added that the state government would ensure that radio broadcasts narrating traffic situation would be made available to residents from time to time so that road users would be kept abreast of the situation of things and make useful decisions.

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