Barely four days into commencement of the announced six months repair work on third Mainland Bridge, the Federal and Lagos State Governments have identified 10 accessible roads that would serve as alternative roads to motorists just as it provides guidelines to reduce travel during the partial closure.
Also to ease gridlock that could arise from the partial closure, the state government has approved the use of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) lanes for Lagos State Bus Services Ltd. to move commuters during the period.
Both governments disclosed these plans during a joint inspection of alternative routes under rehabilitation toward the planned partial closure of the bridge on July 24 for repairs.
On the access roads, Federal Controller of Works in Lagos, Olukayode Popoola, who affirmed the importance of the routes, stated that the outward Lagos Island lane of the third mainland bridge would be partially closed to traffic by midnight of July 24 for the commencement of rehabilitation works.
He said that the ministry would close the Oworonshoki-bound carriageway first for three months and after completion of work, move to the Island-bound to replicate the repairs.
“We are changing the bearings, the expansion joints, and then re-surfacing the bridge. We will make sure we work day and night so that the six months completion date will not be exceeded,’’ he said.
Also on the alternative routes, Special Adviser to the Governor on Works and Infrastructure, Aramide Adeyoye, said that priority would be given to people on the Mainland connecting the Island in the morning to use the bridge while those living on the Island would be required to use alternative routes.
She added that commuters leaving Lagos-Island to the Mainland would also have priority to use the bridge in the evening to reduce congestions.
“If you are living in Victoria Island or Ikoyi, you can use alternatives such as Eko Bridge or you go through Iddo-Carter. So, you can now take Herbert Macaulay.
“Other inner roads are also available. You can also go through Adekunle, Glover, and the side roads. Motorists can make use of Costain. We will make efforts to make the roads motorable during this six months”.
She further hinted that the state Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, had given permission for construction works at night in spite of the curfew imposed by the federal government to flatten coronavirus curve in the country.
According to the special adviser, the decision to allow construction work at night was to speed up completion of repairs works on the roads.
Also, Commissioner for Transportation, Dr. Fredrick Oladeinde, said that apart from the alternative routes already mapped out, water transportation options were being made viable to give residents additional options.
Oladeinde said: “We have quite a number of boats that come from Ikorodu and Bariga, going to the Island to complement the alternative routes that people would use”.
He said that a 24-hour operations task force team had been formed comprising both federal and state law and traffic regulatory agencies to ensure smooth movement to avert gridlock.
