The four-day closure is to enable contractors assess the true state of the bridge, after which works would commence by the end of the year or early in 2019.
The Lagos State Government has announced plans to temporarily shut the Third Mainland Bridge for four days, beginning from the midnight of August 23 till the midnight of August 26, 2018.
A statement signed by Sina Thorpe, Deputy Director, Public Affairs, Ministry Of Works & Infrastructure, on Sunday, noted that the shut down was for “Investigative Maintenance Test to be carried out.”
The State’s Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Mr Ade Akinsanya, according to the statement, said the decision was taken after due consultation with the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing.
The four-day closure, according to Akinsanya, will enable the contractors assess the true state of the bridge after which works would commence by the end of the year or early in 2019.
The Federal Government had earlier announced plans to shut the bridge in July, but it had to be shelved after due consultation with the State Government and deliberations with other stakeholders, who expressed concern about the indiscriminate parking of articulated vehicles on other alternative routes which would have adversely affected traffic.
Subsequently, a Joint Task Force set up to remove the articulated vehicles from the highway was able to achieve tremendous success.
Justifying the need for the closure, Akinsanya said: “The 3rd Mainland Bridge which was opened about 30 years ago by the then military government has had haphazard maintenance and repairs in the past which the present Federal Government is committed to correct by carrying out proper and continuous maintenance and repairs on it.”
Consequently, the State Government appealed for the cooperation, support and understanding of all motorists and residents, advising them to minimise non-essential travel and movements during the four-day closure.
Akinsanya also noted that all traffic management agencies, including the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and the Police, among others, have been mandated to ensure smooth flow of traffic on all the other alternative roads and traffic corridor across the metropolis, to ensure free flow of traffic.