The Federal Government has said that the Third Mainland Bridge will be reopened ahead of schedule at midnight of January 31 to vehicular movement, after the total shutdown.
This follows the completion of the casting of the expansion joints of the bridge ahead of the earlier projected time.
According to a report from the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), this disclosure was made by the Federal Controller of Works, Lagos, Mr. Olukayode Popoola, on Sunday, January 31, 2021. He said the bridge would be reopened 24 hours ahead of schedule.
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What the Federal Controller of Works, Lagos is saying
Popoola said, “The casting of the expansion joints was completed on Saturday. Therefore, the Third Mainland Bridge will be opened by 12 midnight of January 31. Motorists can start plying the bridge as from 12 midnight.’’
He said that the reopening had been communicated to the Lagos State government and all relevant agencies to ensure seamless traffic on the highway, and also expressed gratitude to motorists for their patience and understanding.
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What you should know
- It can be recalled that the Federal Government, on January 27, announced a total shutdown of the Third Mainland Bridge for another 3 days from midnight of Friday, January 29 to midnight of Monday, February 1, 2021.
- The new closure of the bridge was to enable contractors to perform the replacement of 3 delicate expansion joints.
- The bridge, which has been partially closed since July 24, 2020, for another round of rehabilitation works, has been going through a series of repairs.
- The repair, which was initially expected to last 6 months, was further extended by one month due to the disruptions caused by the #EndSARS protests in Lagos, thus extending the completion date from January to February.
- The 11.8-kilometer bridge is the longest of the 3 bridges connecting Lagos Island to the Mainland was commissioned in 1990 by the then military Head of State, Ibrahim Babangida.
