Only 25% of vehicles on 3rd Mainland Bridge being diverted – FRSC

Only 25 percent of total daily vehicular traffic on the partially closed Third Mainland Bridge are being diverted.

A huge 75 percent of the traffic are still being captured on the bridge despite its closure, according to Boboye Oyeyemi, corps marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC).

Oyeyemi made the clarification during a visit to the bridge to observe traffic situation and ascertain the level of work at the site.

Rehabilitation work on the bridge, which began on July 24, 2020 is expected to end on January 24, 2021.

“Only 25 percent of vehicles on the bridge are being re-directed to alternative routes during the period of surface rehabilitation works on the bridge.

“The maintenance work, which is being implemented by the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, is divided into two phases with each phase lasting for three months.

“The phase one is dedicated to repairs of the outward Oworonshoki bound lane of the bridge, while the second phase will focus on the Lagos Island bound carriageway,” said Oyeyemi.

The corps marshal also noted that the length of space under rehabilitation was 3.6 kilometres between Adeniji Adele and Adekunle routes out of the total length of the bridge, put at 11.8 kilometres.

Oyeyemi said that the 11.8 kilometres long Third Mainland Bridge was a critical corridor connecting Mainland and Island. The corridor, he said, carries the average daily traffic between Lagos Mainland and Island with 60,000 vehicles inward bound Island at peak period and 20,000 outward with 250 personnel on ground to direct the traffic 24 hours.

“The corps has deployed 250 personnel, 200 marshals and 50 officers together with 15 patrol vehicles, two heavy trucks, two light trucks, two Ambulance and two motor bikes to control traffic.

“The identified locations for personnel fortification include: Stadium, Costain Roundabout, Iponri, Surulere, Eko Bridge Apongbon Alaska end, Oyingbo, Carter bridge, CMS Bus Stop and Iddo,” Oyeyemi said.

The corps marshal, however, appreciated the other security agencies, like Police, Civil Defence Corps and Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) for their collaborations in ensuring adequate security on the bridge.

Popoola Olukayode, the Federal Controller of Works in charge of Lagos State, said the contractor had been working progressively to ensure that the work was completed as scheduled.

“As we speak, work is ongoing at the six expansion joints that we are going to replace.

“The contractor is now cutting the steel so that they can be able to pull it out of the joint where it is being buried. So, after that one, we are going to replace the expansion joint one after the other and the work is progressing steadily.”

He after the three months, the contractor would shift to the other lane, assuring the repair work would not be extended beyond the six months period projected.

He said there were about 10 engineers supervising the project to ensure the work was done perfectly.