The Ministry of Works in collaboration with the Lagos State Government has said the ongoing emergency rehabilitation of the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos State would gulp over N21.074 billion.
The Minister of Works, David Umahi, accompanied by the Deputy Governor of Lagos, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, disclosed this on Wednesday when flagging off the emergency repairs of the bridge.
During the flag-off, the minister noted that the sum was a result of an expansion of the scope of work to include the complete replacement of the asphalt of the bridge deck to the standard two inches to make motoring smoother and safer on the bridge.
Umahi said, “The ongoing emergency rehabilitation of the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos State would gulp over N21.074bn.
“This is yet another milestone in the actualisation of the renewed hope agenda of divine President Ahmed Bola Tinubu.
“This among other things is aimed at the total repositioning of road and bridge infrastructure in Nigeria and to bring succour to road users who have suffered the effects of decayed infrastructure over the years.”
He lamented that previous efforts to fix the bridge did not address all the concerns for total restoration of the integrity of the bridge, hence the need to expand the scope of the repairs, disclosing that a special feature agreed with the Lagos State government was to fix spikes on the guard railings to discourage suicide attempts on the bridge.
The minister declared that the repairs of the four ramps of Adekunle/Adeniji would be completed on or before December 13, 2023, for Christmas and New Year, while the maintenance of the main carriageways would begin in January 2024.
“It is pertinent to state that the ongoing works being flagged off today only concern the superstructure elements of the bridge.
“The ministry is currently carrying out investigations as well as the design of the piles, pile caps, piers as well as the deflected deck slab. This will lead to the award of a contract for the restoration of the substructure elements of the bridge at a later time,” he said.
Umahi said the project which had its starting point at Victoria Island near Eko Atlantic City was a Public Private Partnership and would boost interconnectivity in the nation.
He added, “Other infrastructure along the project alignment would promote tourism, job creation and interconnectivity.”
On his part, Hamzat thanked President Bola Tinubu for giving attention to the maintenance of the Third Mainland Bridge and others in the state.
Hamzat assured that the Right of Way of the project had been recovered by the state government.
He further appealed to Lagos residents not to build or buy land along the project alignment, adding that several problems in the built environment were caused by physical planning infractions.
He appealed to Lagos residents to accept the minimal discomfort the repair of the bridge might cause, assuring that it was necessary for the overall good of the public.
Umahi and the Hamzat later visited the starting point of the proposed Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway where they had discussions with some firms.
