TheCable

The federal government has announced a total closure of the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos for three days.

Olukayode Popoola, federal controller of works, in a statement, said the closure will start from midnight on Friday to Sunday midnight for special repair works on the 11.8km bridge.

Popoola said works on the bridge have reached a stage where there should not be any form of movement or vibration on it for concrete casting; hence the closure.

He said traffic management officials will be deployed to man all the alternative routes to help with traffic flow.

“The first total closure of the section of the bridge between Adekunle and Adeniji Adele will be from midnight of Friday, 9th October, 2020 to midnight of Sunday, 11th October 2020 to allow the contractor complete the first stage of casting works,” he said.

“The contractor, Messrs Borini Prono & Co. (Nig.) Ltd, 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 (i.e. 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 setting of the special concrete, which allows the concrete to achieve its required compressive strength.

“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 will be in two stages to ensure that the total closure is only at the weekends when there is less traffic plying the route.”

The controller added that the second total closure of the section of the bridge between Adekunle and Adeniji Adele would be communicated at a later date.

“The section of the bridge between Adekunle and Iyana – Oworo will still remain open, and traffic can move from Ebute-Metta/ Adekunle to Iyana – Oworo and vice – versa,’’ he said.

The Third Mainland Bridge, which is undergoing a series of repairs, was partially shut on July 24 for another round of rehabilitation works.

The repairs on the bridge, which is the longest of three bridges connecting Lagos Island to the mainland, are expected to last for six months with the works divided into two phases of three months on each carriageway, starting with the Oworonsoki bound carriageway.