More travel misery is on the way for commuters in Lagos as the government has Tuesday announced plans for the total closure of the third mainland bridge for three days and significant restriction on movement on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.
The federal Controller of Works Lagos, Mr Olukayode Popoola announced Tuesday there will be a 72-hour total closure of the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos to cast concrete on the expansion joints.
Popoola who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) said that the shutdown of the bridge, a main artery in the commercial capital of near 20 million people, will take effect from midnight on Saturday and last till midnight on Tuesday December 28..
He added that construction works had reached the stage for casting concrete on additional three expansion joints.
According to him, “there is going to be a total closure of Third Mainland Bridge in order to allow for the casting of three number expansion joints on the Island Bound lane
” The effective date of the closure will be from 12:00 midnight of 25th of December. So people will be allowed to use the Third Mainland Bridge to celebrate Christmas.
“By the time the Christmas is winding down which is 12:00 midnight, we are going to close it so that we will be able to cast the concrete on Saturday the 26th and 27th we cast again.
He appealed to road users to cooperate with traffic regulatory agencies.
Popoola also announced a 48 hours partial closure of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway from Dec. 28 to Dec. 29 to complete some work on a flyover bridge on the project.
“The contractor, Messers Julius Berger wants to install cross beams at Kilometre 16, that is, around MFM,” he said.
“That area will be cordoned off, there will be closure within that section from 12:00 pm on 28th of December and it will be opened to traffic by 5:00 am the following day.
” 200 meters to get to that particular location we have diversion and another diversion 200 meters away from that place.
“One lane will be opened to traffic, it is only one lane we are closing to traffic at a time. The first lane that we are going to close is outward Lagos, that is the Ibadan bound carriageway, we will close it on the 28th.
” And then the second day which is 29th, we are moving to the other lane which in inward Lagos. The same 12:00 pm to 5:00 am,” Popoola said.
He appealed for patience and understanding of road users saying that the construction was part of the progress that the Federal Government had achieved on the project.
“We regret all the inconvenience and hardship this might have created,” he said.
