Lagos traffic will likely hit a new high by the start of July, as the Third Mainland Bridge is set to be partially closed for repairs which will be carried out over a period of four months.
Motorists and commuters in the state are not pleased with the news.
Spanning a length of 11.8km, the bridge is the longest of three bridges connecting Lagos Island to the Mainland.
Third Mainland Bridge, which starts from Oworonshoki and terminates at the Adeniji Adele Interchange on the Island, remains the longest in Africa.
A transporter, Onyekachi Azubuike recently described Lagos Island as the heart of the state’s economy, and the bridge as the “route” there.
In essence, the Island is the state’s commercial nerve centre where most residents earn their living, and the bridge remains its major link to the Mainland.
Fixing the connecting bridge
The Federal Controller of Works for Lagos, Oluwatoyin Obikoya, confirmed the partial closure of the bridge from July 1, 2012 for the second phase of expansion joint repairs on the bridge.
Phase 1 of the project was done in 2008, when a similar repair work necessitated the partial closure of the bridge.
The bridge will be partially closed for a period of four months, to end on November 6, 2012.
Obikoya said the move was necessary to allow the contractors, Messrs Borini Prono and Company Nigeria Ltd., easy access to the project site.
“It is for them to remove eight defective expansion joints of the bridge; three of the joints are on Lagos (Island) bound, and the remaining five on Oworonshoki bound (side of the bridge),” he said.
During the period, however, traffic will be diverted from the side of the bridge under repair to its other side.
So while the Lagos-bound side of the bridge is under repair, its traffic will be diverted to the outbound lanes between midnight and 12 noon, and vice versa.
“By 12.05 pm, it will only be open to traffic going to the Mainland because traffic will be heavier towards the route by then,” he continued.
This means that motorists heading to the Island in the morning or evening will need to take alternative routes during the period.
Such alternative routes include: Ikorodu Road, Apapa-Oworonshoki Road and Herbert Macaulay/Oyingbo Road.
Motorists catch the fever
But as the coordinating team braces up for the partial blockade of the link bridge, motorists and commuters in the state have been following events with some apprehension, even though the blockade is not due for another one week.
Yinka Idowu, who takes the bridge to his workplace on the Island, said the experience was “bound to be unpleasant” for him.
“Normally, I spend about three hours in traffic just going home; now, with the partial closure, it will be hell,” he added.
Many also fear that the attendant heavy traffic will spill over to all roads within Lagos as motorists manoeuvre for quick routes, with commercial motorists claiming they will bear the brunt of the partial blockade because of the restrictions already placed on them.
For instance, commercial buses are banned from taking Ikorodu Expressway, and only allowed on the access routes.
A commercial motorist, Oluwaseyi Alomaja, said the ban will further compound issues for them.
“And time is money in our business; spending double the normal time in traffic means my income will also be cut by half,” he said.
Meanwhile, Obikoya admitted that the partial closure of the bridge would cause some inconvenience to the public.
He however added that the repairs were necessary to guarantee the safety of the bridge.
Obikoya also appealed for the cooperation of motorists in obeying directional signs that will be in place to direct traffic during the period.
He said, “We are working together with other agencies like the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), and the Police.”
In his reaction, the State Sector Commander for FRSC, Nseobong Akpabio, confirmed his agency’s involvement, saying, “We are involved, and by that time, we would know what and what to do.”
