The Federal Government has announced a total shutdown of Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos to vehicular movement for 3 days, beginning from midnight on Friday to midnight on Sunday, as repair works on the bridge get to a critical stage.
According to a media report, the shutdown is to enable the contractors to carry out special repair works on the 11.8-kilometre platform, and to complete the first stage of casting works.
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While making the disclosure, the Federal Controller of Works in Lagos, Mr Olukayode Popoola, said in a statement that the construction had reached the concrete casting phase where there should not be any form of movement or vibration on the bridge, hence the total closure.
In his statement, Popoola said, “The first total closure of the section of the bridge between Adekunle and Adeniji Adele will be from midnight of Friday, October 9, 2020, to midnight of Sunday, October 11, 2020, to allow the contractor complete the first stage of casting works. The contractor, Messrs. Borini Prono and Company (Nigeria) Limited, is nearing completion of works on the closed section of Third Mainland Bridge and requires the total closure of both bounds of the bridge between Adeniji Adele and Adekunle (that is, in addition to the closed bound of the bridge, the other bound from Adekunle to Adeniji Adele will also be closed) to complete work. The total closure of this section of the bridge is to ensure that there is no vibration on the bridge during the casting in-place of the newly installed expansion joints. This is to allow for the setting of the special concrete, which allows the concrete to achieve its required compressive strength.”
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Going further, he said that due to the number of expansion joints to be cast on the closed section of the bridge and the traffic situation in Lagos State, especially during the weekdays, the casting of the expansion joints would be in two stages to ensure that the total closure is only during weekends when there is less traffic plying the route.
The Controller said that adequate traffic management officials would be deployed to man all the alternative routes to help with traffic flow, and he expressed regrets at any inconvenience the closure might cause.
Popoola also added that the second total closure of the section of the bridge between Adekunle and Adeniji Adele would be communicated at a later date.
Thanks for the update. But, Friday night to Sunday night is two days, not three.