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Gbeminiyi Ogunleye
2 weeks ago
Overview
FG Orders Closure Of Third Mainland Bridge To Heavy-Duty Vehicles For Maintenance «
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The Federal Government has ordered the closure of Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos State to heavy-duty vehicles for structural maintenance.
It also directed action on rehabilitation of highways and bridges on the verge imminent deterioration.
Minister of Works, David Umahi, disclosed this, yesterday, during a media briefing in Abuja where he highlighted ongoing projects under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
He emphasised the urgent need for structural maintenance on critical sections of highways and bridges to prevent further deterioration.
Umahi listed several projects in the South-West, including the Third Mainland Bridge, Carter Bridge, Iddo Bridge, and various roads that required emergency intervention.
He said that heavy-duty trucks exceeding weight limits had caused damage to flyovers and bridges, posing safety risks to motorists.
The minister gave the assurance that the Third Mainland Bridge is safe for light vehicles but not for heavy vehicles, leading to its closure.
He also addressed issues on the Carter Bridge and other damaged bridges, emphasising government’s commitment to ensuring public safety.
He said: “Among other emergency jobs that you’ve been seeing in Lagos, we are having a very deep conversation on the Third Mainland Bridge and Carter Bridge. And it’s a very deep and concerned conversation. And we have tabled it to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) and the President has directed that the ministry should articulate the exact situation and bring it to the FEC meeting for deliberation.
“But be assured that the Third Mainland Bridge is safe for light vehicles, but not for heavy vehicles. We have closed it against heavy vehicles, and the Carter Bridge also has issues that the President is going to address as soon as our memo is completed. We also have a problem with the heavy trucks that are loading beyond our head rooms in our flyovers.
“We have a couple of them between Lagos and Ibadan bridges completed by the last administration. Some of them have been knocked down. The beams are knocked down, and the beams are the structural elements that carry the slab that are carrying the vehicular loads. And so where the beam is not there, it means that it’s not safe. So, for some of such bridges, we have closed them down against vehicular movements. And we are very concerned.
“The Iddo Odo Bridge was burned down during the past administration. So, we are on it. It’s an ongoing project through Julius Berger.”
Umahi highlighted ongoing efforts by the Renewed Hope administration to expand and modernise road infrastructure for sustainable economic growth, adding: ”Immediate action is being taken to address deteriorating highways and bridges across the six geo-political zones.”
