Key
officials in Lagos State’s transport sector, yesterday, gave joint explanation
of alternate routes residents will be expected to use during the partial
closure of the Third Mainland Bridge.
Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure,
Dr. Obafemi Hamzat; Commissioner for Transportation, Mr. Kayode Opeifa and Mr
Aderemi Ibirogba, Commissioner for Information and Strategy, did a joint
briefing in Alausa, Ikeja.
Also present were; Mr. Ganiyu Johnson,
Special Adviser to Governor Babatunde Fashola on Works and Infrastructure
and Mr. Gbenga Akintola, Director of the state’s Public Works Corporation.
Hamzat, who stressed that anxiety generated
by the planned repairs of the bridge was unnecessary, said the maintenance work
was also to ensure its durability and make it serve residents better.
According to him, though, the bridge would
be partially closed during the repair period, from July to November, adequate
measures had been put in place by the state government to manage traffic.
He said: “Everybody says we don‘t have
maintenance culture. This is maintenance culture. The bridge needs to be maintained
and this is what is happening.
“When the bridge, which has eight expansion
joints, was constructed, it was constructed as two structures hanging on one.
One will notice that when vehicles get to these joints, the bridge
vibrates.
“And, as more vehicles pass through these
joints, the bridge compresses. So, the repair work that is going to be done is
to strengthen the joints in order for it to function properly.
“The maintenance work is very necessary. It
is actually for the safety of its users and the durability of
the bridge.“
Hamzat said the impact of the
repair on traffic would be reduced compared to 2008,when a similar repair
works was done owing to some road infrastructure that had since been put in
place.
Diversion routes
According to Hamzat, the road linking Yaba
to Oyingbo, down to Funsho Williams Avenue is one of the strategic roads that
had been provided by the government in the last five years.
The commissioner assured that more roads
would be worked on by the government before the closure to ease traffic during
the period.
Also speaking on the arrangement, Opeifa
said the government had evolved a comprehensive traffic management plan to
ensure that the impact of the repairs on traffic was minimal.
He said a good number of the state‘s
traffic officials were deployed to the different routes identified for
diversions around the bridge to ensure that the plan worked.
He said: “The traffic management strategy
is structured around the current use of the bridge. And, the direction of flow
of vehicular traffic determines the diversion strategy.
“We have also examined other roads that
would be used during the period and we have structured our strategy towards
these roads.
“The road will be closed between 00:00am
and 12:00 pm. These are the times of diversion and these are the critical
times. During these times, there will be two scenarios.
“In the morning that is between 00:00am and
12:00pm, when coming from the Island to the Mainland, at Adeniji- Adele, one is
expected to divert to Carter Bridge.
“When one gets to Carter Bridge, one is
expected to proceed to Iddo, where the redistribution will happen.
“From Iddo, one can proceed to Herbert
Macaulay Way down to Jibowu and link either Agege Motor Road or Ikorodu Road.
”Also, from Iddo, one may like to link
Ijora Olopa, one will need to link Eko Bridge and from that bridge one can get
to Funsho Williams Avenue.
“ From Funsho Williams Avenue, between
Ojuelegba and Moshalasi, one can decide to use either Ikorodu Road or Agege
Motor Road to link other parts of the mainland. “
Ibirogba said the new Lagos Traffic
Radio would provide comprehensive traffic information
during the repair period to also help manage traffic.
He urged residents not to entertain fears
about the repair of the bridge, assuring that the government would do its best
to ensure its impact on traffic was minimal.