LAGOS – Federal Government, yesterday, said a new date for the commencement of repair of the Third Mainland Bridge would be announced soon.
It would be recalled that the repair on the bridge which was scheduled to commence on on Sunday, was postponed due to logistic reasons by the government a day before.
Federal Comptroller of Works in Lagos, Mr. Ejike Mgbemena, at a briefing, said: “You will be informed when the project will commence between today (yesterday) and Tuesday (today). We will hold a briefing on Friday where the Minister of Works will brief you on the details.”
“The minister will be coming to Lagos on Thursday to meet with Lagos State governor on the project before a world press conference on Friday.”
He noted that this will douse the tension that the Federal Government was suspending repairs of the 22-year-old bridge indefinitely.
He, however, blamed the anxiety created over the project on the ineptitude of the contractor. “What we were considering was first week of July not a specific day in July.”
The controller stated that the Federal Government will collaborate with the Lagos State Government to ensure a hitch-free repair.
Also speaking on the project, Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Aderemi Ibirogba, assured residents that the government would be working closely with the Federal Government to ensure that motorists experience minimal discomfort.
Ibirogba said the state government had effectively managed such issue of partial road closure through the joint efforts of the various state traffic control agencies before now, urging the residents not to panic whenever the government begins the repair.
He said: “There is no need to fear, it’s all about management, the government has done this before, and when we did it, we all remained calm, there were some little traffic, but we are better off now than where we were then.
“What the government did was to divert traffic to Funsho Williams Avenue (formerly Western Avenue), Ikorodu Road and also through Murtala Muhammed Way, through Carter Bridge, Lagos Island and out.
