After many weeks of enduring traffic slowdown on Eko Bridge, , motorists will, from Monday, August 17, start experiencing free flow of traffic as the federal government says repair work on the failed portion of the bridge will be done on Sunday, August 16.
Olukayode Popoola, the Federal Controller of Works in Lagos, who disclosed this to BusinessDay on Wednesday, explained that the contractor, Budwell Construction Company, chose to do the work on Sunday in the expectation that traffic would be lighter that day.
The controller disclosed further that after the repair work, a gantry or barrier would be mounted on the bridge to prevent articulated vehicles or any other vehicle that is above 2.4 metres from using the bridge and causing more harm.
Following the partial closure of the Third Mainland Bridge to enable the federal government and Borini Prono Construction Company to carry out repair work on the 11.8kilometre bridge, the federal and Lagos State governments decided to carry out palliative work on identified alternative routes.
Ikorodu Road is one of those alternative routes and it is presently the melting pot for motorists going to or coming from the island through Eko Bridge and Carter Bridge to the mainland. The road is in bad condition which is why there is always heavy vehicular movement and falling trucks incidents there.
“We are aware that the road is in bad condition. The Chinese Civil Engineering and Construction Company (CCECC) is the contractor commissioned to work on that road which is a major alternative route to the Third Mainland Bridge already partially closed,” Popoola said.
He explained that work has stopped on the road because the contractor’s Asphalt Plant was faulty and the company has decided to import asphalt from their home country. “Work will resume on the road once the asphalt arrives but I can’t tell you when that is going to be,” he said.
Prior to the partial closure of the Third Mainland Bridge on July 24, 2020 to commence repair work that would last for six months, the federal and Lagos State governments decided to work on alternative routes due to the traffic congestion that would be caused by the closure of the bridge.
While the federal government contacted Borini Porini to fill up potholes at the Iddo-Oyingbo Road, and CCECC to repair the Independence Tunnel in Ikorodu, the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) rehabilitated the drainages at Ijora Olopa.
Popoola said the Lagos State government agreed to fix bad portions around the Iganmu Bridge, adding that its public works agency was also fixing some other roads. He noted that repair work had started with the Lagos State Public Works Corporation.
