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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Third Mainland Bridge Will NOT Be Closed For Maintenance

The Lagos State governor, Babatunde Fashola on Monday said that contrary to what has been reported, the Third Mainland Bridge will not be shut down from July but that diversions will take place depending on what sections of the road will be worked upon.

 He urged residents of the State not to entertain any needless fear about the impending repair works on the Third Mainland Bridge, saying it is all about proper management of the situation. 

 Mr Fashola who spoke in an interview with State House Correspondents at Lagos House, Ikeja said that it is a process which has taken place before and when it took place the people went through it and it was managed successfully even though there were some traffic. “Let us remember that we have done this before. 

Two years ago four joints were fixed and I think we managed the traffic by communicating with our people. So, contrary to what has been reported, it is not a total closure but a partial closure.

 “But let us contextualize it; we are better off today than we were when we did it, at that time we diverted traffic mainly to Funsho Williams, Western Avenue, Ikorodu Road and also Murtala Mohammed Way and through Carter Bridge into Lagos Island and out. Remember that at the time this happened we were constructing those two roads.

 Now they have been finished. “So in terms of roads infrastructure, we are better off now than when we first undertook the repairs and managed it successfully, so it should be less painful. We have also agreed with the Federal Ministry of Works and chosen this period so that we will utilize the time the students are on vacation”. 

 The governor reiterated that the repair works will start hopefully on July 1st but that much of the work will deepen during the period when the school pupils are expected to be on holidays and that the traffic impact is expected to reduce.

 He added that the work will continue till after the school children resume but that government is targeting “that before the end of year rush and traffic starts mounting by October to November, we would have finished so that people will have a pleasurable and comfortable drive on that bridge in and out of Lagos”.

 Mr Fashola said the road will also save the residents the wear and tear on their suspension and shock absorber, adding that it is in their own interest for it to be repaired and that they should not panic. He said that State has a Radio station dedicated to traffic issues. He said that when the Third Mainland Bridge first underwent repairs, there was no Traffic Radio in the state which is now available to enable information and movement to be communicated regularly.

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Why Third Mainland Bridge Repair Is Delayed

The Federal Ministry of Works is still waiting for construction materials to start repairs on the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos, an official said on Monday.

The Director of Roads, South-West Zone, Federal Ministry of Works, Mr Ejike Mgbemena, said this in an interview with newsmen in Lagos.

Mgbemena said that the ministry would carry out repairs on the 11.8km dual carriage bridge as soon as the materials arrived.

He said that the ministry would soon organise a stakeholders’ meeting in preparation for the commencement of the repairs.

The director said that such stakeholders included the police, Federal Road Safety Commission and transporters.

He said that the meeting would, among other things, discuss logistic arrangement that would ensure effective traffic management during the period of the repairs.

The Minister of Works, Dr Mike Onolememen, had in Nov., 2011 announced the award of a N1.05 billion contract for Phase II repair of the bridge.

According to him, the repairs would include replacement of eight expansion joints on the bridge, which connects Lagos Island with some parts of the mainland.

The contract was awarded to Borini Prono Construction Company Ltd., which was given nine months to complete the repairs.

The minister also noted that the foundation structures of the bridge had been compromised.

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